I've started reading Rupert Brown's Group Processes, first published in 1988. The first sentence reminded me of how quickly we can change our minds about what's important in the workplace.
"For some years now, at least in the industrialized West, groups have received rather a bad press".
I know he's talking about groups in general, but how different a view from that we currently hold about teams.
For some reason, it got me thinking about those development areas we currently focus on and on some we have forgotten about (or forgotten to advocate for) - just some thoughts.
With our focus on diversity, have we forgotten about commonality?
With our focus on leadership, have we forgotten about support?
With our focus on change, have we forgotten about consolidation?
Are there any areas that you feel have become the focus of business or personal development that have pushed aside other vital ones?
Connected Pages
Friday, 28 January 2011
Tuesday, 25 January 2011
On the Nature of Business
To say that the nature of business is changing is an understatement. Yet for those of us interested in making things happen, it is worth stopping to ask: in what ways is it changing? And why?
What consumers expect from businesses has changed: we expect more transparency, accountability and sometimes we even look to see whether they share our own values.(To see how this has affected Marketing, read Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, by Dave Evans.)
Even though the nature of business might be changing, the way in which people working in business see themselves remains the same: some look for opportunities for personal growth outside their office walls; some strive to make the world a better place through volunteering or by contributing much needed funds to social projects.
I have always been baffled (and a little, just a little bit disturbed) by the fact that not more people obtain and seek the opportunities to develop at work. Our formal education ends relatively early - surely we don't reach our full potential then? And wouldn't it make sense to become a better professional, a better person, at work, where we spend at least a quarter of our lives? (Calculation based on 40 hrs per week). Granted, this is less than we spend sleeping, for those of us lucky enough to get 8 hours sleep a day, that's 33% of our time spent re-charging our batteries.
My wider, genuine question is: do businesses have the responsibility to develop their people? Not just to help their businesses excel but also, as a contribution to society?
Business can make an important contribution to society: it provides us with services (things we can't or won't do ourselves), meets our needs (even if it creates some of them) and is responsible for many improvements in people's lives.
And yet, on Peter Day's Global Business "A New Capitalism" (20 Jan 2011), Michael Porter from Harvard Business School, commented how some of the school's own students now seem to feel a bit ashamed to be studying Business: " They are, I won't say embarrassed about being in business, but they are uneasy and really not proud to be associated with this institution."
I was happy to hear him add that Corporate Social Responsibility is not the answer (I might add: pretty much like "Citizenship" in the curriculum was not the answer to the decay of behaviour at school).
"There is a hunger for purpose in the business community."
Michael Porter advocates for integrating social values into the business, so that they cease to be an add-on, a separate department, but are integrated into the company's strategy and culture.
Not all of us lead a large organisation; not all of us have the status to be able to change the world: but let's take those values we cherish so much in our personal lives and let them phase into our professional life and let's see what happens - a small risk to take.
(Further Reading: Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer's article "The Big Idea: Creating Shared Value" Harvard Business Review Jan/Feb 2011)
What consumers expect from businesses has changed: we expect more transparency, accountability and sometimes we even look to see whether they share our own values.(To see how this has affected Marketing, read Social Media Marketing: An Hour a Day, by Dave Evans.)
Even though the nature of business might be changing, the way in which people working in business see themselves remains the same: some look for opportunities for personal growth outside their office walls; some strive to make the world a better place through volunteering or by contributing much needed funds to social projects.
I have always been baffled (and a little, just a little bit disturbed) by the fact that not more people obtain and seek the opportunities to develop at work. Our formal education ends relatively early - surely we don't reach our full potential then? And wouldn't it make sense to become a better professional, a better person, at work, where we spend at least a quarter of our lives? (Calculation based on 40 hrs per week). Granted, this is less than we spend sleeping, for those of us lucky enough to get 8 hours sleep a day, that's 33% of our time spent re-charging our batteries.
My wider, genuine question is: do businesses have the responsibility to develop their people? Not just to help their businesses excel but also, as a contribution to society?
Business can make an important contribution to society: it provides us with services (things we can't or won't do ourselves), meets our needs (even if it creates some of them) and is responsible for many improvements in people's lives.
And yet, on Peter Day's Global Business "A New Capitalism" (20 Jan 2011), Michael Porter from Harvard Business School, commented how some of the school's own students now seem to feel a bit ashamed to be studying Business: " They are, I won't say embarrassed about being in business, but they are uneasy and really not proud to be associated with this institution."
I was happy to hear him add that Corporate Social Responsibility is not the answer (I might add: pretty much like "Citizenship" in the curriculum was not the answer to the decay of behaviour at school).
"There is a hunger for purpose in the business community."
Michael Porter advocates for integrating social values into the business, so that they cease to be an add-on, a separate department, but are integrated into the company's strategy and culture.
Not all of us lead a large organisation; not all of us have the status to be able to change the world: but let's take those values we cherish so much in our personal lives and let them phase into our professional life and let's see what happens - a small risk to take.
(Further Reading: Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer's article "The Big Idea: Creating Shared Value" Harvard Business Review Jan/Feb 2011)
Friday, 21 January 2011
Widening the conversation
I try to stick to two posts a week but after yesterday's comments to the post on Flat News, I am posting again this morning.
I wanted to thank Tomas and Anonymous for their two comments and encourage you all to read them. (I've added a widget to the sidebar so that the comments can feature a bit more on this blog as they really do add to the whole blog experience.)
You can read Anonymous' comments but, for the English readership, I will translate Tomas' below. And if you speak Spanish, do visit his blog http://tomasee.blogspot.com/. Tomas is a journalist and learning development professional and I find his writing style and thoughts very appealing.
So, apologies if the translation seems clunky, but I want to keep it as literal as possible.
"It's embarrasing how many media channels have been humilliated after publishing information without verifying it first. The Internet is an infinite information source but not all of it is valid or true.
The idea of "because I saw it in television" or "because I read in in this or that newspaper" without looking any further into it is the tendency that masses have. A mass that is misinformed but that has no inclination to cross that line. It's sitting comfortably in its herd position and will remain there.
One just has to look at the Trending Topics of the day, the month or the year. To look at the stupidities published in blogs, social media, etc. All due to a freedom assumed by everyone to say whatever they think of in whatever shape or form, forgetting to follow the most basic rules, such as grammar, decorum or respect.
And: Guatemala is a good example. What about Paraguay? Surinam? What would have become of Iceland if they hadn't had that volcano? Many wouldn't have even imagined what that country was like...
Anyway, a good topic. I want to read the book on my Kindle but it hasn't been published as an e-book in the USA."
End of translation - thanks again!
I wanted to thank Tomas and Anonymous for their two comments and encourage you all to read them. (I've added a widget to the sidebar so that the comments can feature a bit more on this blog as they really do add to the whole blog experience.)
You can read Anonymous' comments but, for the English readership, I will translate Tomas' below. And if you speak Spanish, do visit his blog http://tomasee.blogspot.com/. Tomas is a journalist and learning development professional and I find his writing style and thoughts very appealing.
So, apologies if the translation seems clunky, but I want to keep it as literal as possible.
"It's embarrasing how many media channels have been humilliated after publishing information without verifying it first. The Internet is an infinite information source but not all of it is valid or true.
The idea of "because I saw it in television" or "because I read in in this or that newspaper" without looking any further into it is the tendency that masses have. A mass that is misinformed but that has no inclination to cross that line. It's sitting comfortably in its herd position and will remain there.
One just has to look at the Trending Topics of the day, the month or the year. To look at the stupidities published in blogs, social media, etc. All due to a freedom assumed by everyone to say whatever they think of in whatever shape or form, forgetting to follow the most basic rules, such as grammar, decorum or respect.
And: Guatemala is a good example. What about Paraguay? Surinam? What would have become of Iceland if they hadn't had that volcano? Many wouldn't have even imagined what that country was like...
Anyway, a good topic. I want to read the book on my Kindle but it hasn't been published as an e-book in the USA."
End of translation - thanks again!
Thursday, 20 January 2011
Currently Reading: Flat Earth News by Nick Davies
"The ethic of honesty has been overwhelmed by the mass production of ignorance."
This is essentially the overriding theme of the book. And the main reason given for this trend is the lack of time and resources with which journalists can play with. News agencies and PR agencies are feeding through their news items, many of which are being fed to the "news consumer" at the speed of lighting without really taking the time to verify the facts. How much are WE responsible for this, those of us on the other side of the page (or the screen)?
Reading the book I was reminded of the importance, as news consumer, of taking the time to read through the news item (and not be swept away by the headline) to understand what is being said and just as importantly, who it's being said by.
And this goes double (or triple!) for studies and medical research. The scientist in me gets woken up every time I hear 50% of blah and a recent study shows that blah - what size was the group on which research was carried out? In the field or in the lab? Who was the study commissioned by? (At this point and allowing myself to digress, I'd like to recommend Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - link below.)
Back to Flat Earth News. Of course, as important as what gets reported, is what does not get reported. This is where I'm enjoying the book the most, although it might have more to do with my "gossip" side of the brain (that which likes hearing stories) than my intellectual one. It is horrifying to think how much our experience of the world we live in is shaped by the media. And now that we have access to what is going on in most of the world, I sometimes have a false sense that I know about the world I live in.
But of course I don't - citing an example from the book: take Guatemala. Have you heard anything about Guatemala lately? In the same summer as Hurricane Katrina hit Kansas, an earthquake also hit Guatemala, leaving 120,000 people homeless (0.9% of its population more or less, in the spirit of putting numbers into context). I never heard about it. I rarely hear anything about what happens in Guatemala.
So I do recommend Flat Earth News, it's a good reminder to take responsibility for our own view of the world. And as those of you reading this blog will know, I do like responsibility and I like accountability.
This is essentially the overriding theme of the book. And the main reason given for this trend is the lack of time and resources with which journalists can play with. News agencies and PR agencies are feeding through their news items, many of which are being fed to the "news consumer" at the speed of lighting without really taking the time to verify the facts. How much are WE responsible for this, those of us on the other side of the page (or the screen)?
Reading the book I was reminded of the importance, as news consumer, of taking the time to read through the news item (and not be swept away by the headline) to understand what is being said and just as importantly, who it's being said by.
And this goes double (or triple!) for studies and medical research. The scientist in me gets woken up every time I hear 50% of blah and a recent study shows that blah - what size was the group on which research was carried out? In the field or in the lab? Who was the study commissioned by? (At this point and allowing myself to digress, I'd like to recommend Bad Science by Ben Goldacre - link below.)
Back to Flat Earth News. Of course, as important as what gets reported, is what does not get reported. This is where I'm enjoying the book the most, although it might have more to do with my "gossip" side of the brain (that which likes hearing stories) than my intellectual one. It is horrifying to think how much our experience of the world we live in is shaped by the media. And now that we have access to what is going on in most of the world, I sometimes have a false sense that I know about the world I live in.
But of course I don't - citing an example from the book: take Guatemala. Have you heard anything about Guatemala lately? In the same summer as Hurricane Katrina hit Kansas, an earthquake also hit Guatemala, leaving 120,000 people homeless (0.9% of its population more or less, in the spirit of putting numbers into context). I never heard about it. I rarely hear anything about what happens in Guatemala.
So I do recommend Flat Earth News, it's a good reminder to take responsibility for our own view of the world. And as those of you reading this blog will know, I do like responsibility and I like accountability.
Tuesday, 18 January 2011
In Pursuit of Happiness
As a frequent traveler, flying last year proved a little bit more difficult than normal. When the ash cloud formed, I realised how much life in this country (and many others) is dependent on planes running on schedule. The snow chaos in December at Heathrow was a snapshot of the number of people who can be in the air at any one time.
The thought a few years ago of a third runway filled me with horror - I live on the Heathrow pathway and see planes arrive every thirty seconds - why do we need more planes in the sky?
Why does everything need to expand and everyone's economies need to grow?
There is a fixation in business with the fact that if you're not growing, you 're obviously standing still and therefore - that's bad! So we must expand, expand, search for new markets, develop new products. And the voluntary sector breathes similar air - driven by the widespread policy of funding bodies of supporting "new activities" it feels like organisations need to constantly re-invent themselves or, at least, appear to be doing so. My direct experience in this sector is limited to arts funding, but I'm sure other charities also find the need to renew their project offering and activities in order to pursue their aims.
I'm not against growth and know that sometimes, growing or changing are the only route to survival but surely there is merit in achieving happiness or success through following a horizontal path?
I think much unhappiness and stress is created by the notion that we need to get better/richer/smarter/more successful more you-name-it, all the time. (And in the freelance world, you would also need to be "busy".)
For a start, worldwide continuous growth is making demands on a planet with finite resources. We have no points of reference to alert us about how it might all end. And, to go back to my earlier point, the forces of nature are still capable of halting our everyday lives without warning.
And I really don't think that this "growth mentality" coupled with the tendency to allow others to measure our own "success" is doing our mental health any good. The popularity of Wellbeing programmes together with the recent trend of governments' and commercial organisations' intent on measuring happiness must be reflecting a widespread concern that, in general, we have got our priorities wrong. But don't take my word for it - I'll leave you with a quote from the Radio 4 podcast that inspired this post.
"When you look at economies like the UK and America, and the other advanced industrialised economies, even though those economies keep getting bigger and bigger, over the last 3/4/5 decades, actually they've stopped delivering higher levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing."
Quote from Andrew Simms (New Economics Foundation) speaking in Radio 4's podcast In Business - Growing Pains
The thought a few years ago of a third runway filled me with horror - I live on the Heathrow pathway and see planes arrive every thirty seconds - why do we need more planes in the sky?
Why does everything need to expand and everyone's economies need to grow?
There is a fixation in business with the fact that if you're not growing, you 're obviously standing still and therefore - that's bad! So we must expand, expand, search for new markets, develop new products. And the voluntary sector breathes similar air - driven by the widespread policy of funding bodies of supporting "new activities" it feels like organisations need to constantly re-invent themselves or, at least, appear to be doing so. My direct experience in this sector is limited to arts funding, but I'm sure other charities also find the need to renew their project offering and activities in order to pursue their aims.
I'm not against growth and know that sometimes, growing or changing are the only route to survival but surely there is merit in achieving happiness or success through following a horizontal path?
I think much unhappiness and stress is created by the notion that we need to get better/richer/smarter/more successful more you-name-it, all the time. (And in the freelance world, you would also need to be "busy".)
For a start, worldwide continuous growth is making demands on a planet with finite resources. We have no points of reference to alert us about how it might all end. And, to go back to my earlier point, the forces of nature are still capable of halting our everyday lives without warning.
And I really don't think that this "growth mentality" coupled with the tendency to allow others to measure our own "success" is doing our mental health any good. The popularity of Wellbeing programmes together with the recent trend of governments' and commercial organisations' intent on measuring happiness must be reflecting a widespread concern that, in general, we have got our priorities wrong. But don't take my word for it - I'll leave you with a quote from the Radio 4 podcast that inspired this post.
"When you look at economies like the UK and America, and the other advanced industrialised economies, even though those economies keep getting bigger and bigger, over the last 3/4/5 decades, actually they've stopped delivering higher levels of life satisfaction and wellbeing."
Quote from Andrew Simms (New Economics Foundation) speaking in Radio 4's podcast In Business - Growing Pains
Thursday, 13 January 2011
Towards Collective Accountability
"If we wait for the government, it's going to be too little too late;
As individuals, it's just going to be too little,
But if we do it as communities, together, it might just be enough, just in time."
Spoken by Ben Brangwyn from Transition Network in Peter Day's In Business Podcast 'Growing Pains'. (Transcription into verse, is therefore my artistic licence.)
Here, Ben was talking about a specific project: Totnes, a town which has adopted the Transition Model in order to "respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change."
So, I have taken his words completely out of context but I think they can easily be applied to the need for collective accountability and making sure that we get involved in the things that matter to us. And of course, that we attract, seek and welcome the efforts of others to make our journey more efficient and enjoyable.
(For a post along the same lines, visit Sinead Mac Manus' blog.)
As individuals, it's just going to be too little,
But if we do it as communities, together, it might just be enough, just in time."
Spoken by Ben Brangwyn from Transition Network in Peter Day's In Business Podcast 'Growing Pains'. (Transcription into verse, is therefore my artistic licence.)
Here, Ben was talking about a specific project: Totnes, a town which has adopted the Transition Model in order to "respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change."
So, I have taken his words completely out of context but I think they can easily be applied to the need for collective accountability and making sure that we get involved in the things that matter to us. And of course, that we attract, seek and welcome the efforts of others to make our journey more efficient and enjoyable.
(For a post along the same lines, visit Sinead Mac Manus' blog.)
Wednesday, 12 January 2011
The Extra One Per Cent
The Extra One Per Cent
by Rob YeungI do like Rob Yeung. Of course, I have never met him, but I have read three of his books and I do like the tone of them. Simple, straight forward and personal, in that his own values come through.
So I was looking forward to 'The Extra One Per Cent - how small changes make exceptional people'. Of course, the suggested changes might be small but not easy to make - as for some it might require re-programming how they see the world around them and indeed, their own role in carving their own path to success, whatever that "success" is.
(In fact, the book might inspire more than one person to stop and define what personal success means to them.)
(In fact, the book might inspire more than one person to stop and define what personal success means to them.)
"We can all benefit from disentangling what is genuinely important to us from the values of those around us."
The Extra One Per Cent will surely prove inspiring to entrepreneurs and those people who have big goals in mind, as it is full of success stories and ways of dissecting big plans to make them viable, as well as building self-confidence.
I particularly liked the reminder of the importance of relationships in attaining your goals. In his chapter on "Daring" (one of the capabilities of exceptional people), he describes a stepwise approach to working towards your goals. Then, in considering each step, he suggests thinking about "Who can/should help you?". As someone who has never had a problem in asking for or giving help, I think this is fantastic (and essential) advice.
And while on the subject of goals, I also welcome his suggestion of being guided by positive goals rather than negative goals (e.g. "I want to run more workshops" rather than "I want to avoid having only one client") and much prefer his PAST mnemonic (what a great word, mnemonic...) for effective goals: Positive, Ambitious, Specific, Timed - a more energy-charged term than the widely used SMART.
As someone who advocates for making room for creativity at work, I really welcome a few of his other points:
- "Creativity" does not mean "artistry";
- One can experience "flow" and develop one's creativity in any kind of job, it just has to be right for you.
"Creativity comes about as the result of activity. Individuals who make time to question, speculate and learn about the world tend to be more creative."
The scientist in me continues to ask all the time: "How do you know?", "Where is the proof"? And indeed, this is something that Rob Yeung does well, by supporting most of his suggestions and advice with research from studies and experiments (all neatly referenced at the back of the book for further reading). Of course plenty of the material comes from anecdotes, his own experience and gut feeling - else the book would lose its soul!
So, if you are looking for a light read, full of research, practical advice and inspirational stories, do go The Extra One Percent. And, as always, if you can think of any other literature along the same lines, please post your recommendation here!
Thursday, 6 January 2011
Spelling Matters
Sometimes you search and search for the right thing to say and then... it's there, right in front of you!
I couldn't quite make up my mind on whether to write a short post on The Placebo Effect (triggered by a Dr Karl podcast) or whether to write about Flat Earth News, which I am currently reading... In checking out a design feature of this blog, I noticed, (Oh Horror) a spelling mistake in the title of my previous post - "CoNfortably Simple". I was horrified that many people could have witnessed such a mistake... but in the end, how much does it matter?
With the volumes of self-publishing material now available on and via the internet, I have come across those who meticulously double and triple check their spelling and those that obviously happily type along and don't read over their work before pressing Send Now or Post.
I have to admit I belong to the first group and I am a bit of a snob - which is ironic because neither my English nor Spanish are perfect and when I make a mistake, it's usually a big one. (I also use the excuse of having a British keyboard to avoid using accents when writing in Spanish, in case I make a mistake...) Oh, and I also make up my own punctuation rules.
So what does correct spelling represent aside from the fact that you know how to spell? That you care that you spell well? That you care what people think of you when they read your work/messages?
For me, language is what unites many of us. (And by default, language is also what separates many of us.) In trying to preserve its beauty and tradition, I suppose I am trying to preserve something I value. I suppose when I perceive that language isn't being treated with care, I get defensive about it and think that the transgressor doesn't care or value their own message. But I imagine I'm going too far and sometimes, it's just a question of what one is used to. Some people spell well, some people talk well, some people paint well, some people sell well, the list goes on...
There was recently (well, about a year ago) a debate on a forum I used to belong to, on precisely how important it was to write and spell well in business. I know it's important in all communication but I can't quite articulate why.
So sorry, but I am no clearer myself of where I stand with this, than I was at the beginning of the post - help, clarity someone - more thoughts?
(For those of you who speak Spanish, do visit the blog Tomás en Europa for a more eloquent view on the subject.)
I couldn't quite make up my mind on whether to write a short post on The Placebo Effect (triggered by a Dr Karl podcast) or whether to write about Flat Earth News, which I am currently reading... In checking out a design feature of this blog, I noticed, (Oh Horror) a spelling mistake in the title of my previous post - "CoNfortably Simple". I was horrified that many people could have witnessed such a mistake... but in the end, how much does it matter?
With the volumes of self-publishing material now available on and via the internet, I have come across those who meticulously double and triple check their spelling and those that obviously happily type along and don't read over their work before pressing Send Now or Post.
I have to admit I belong to the first group and I am a bit of a snob - which is ironic because neither my English nor Spanish are perfect and when I make a mistake, it's usually a big one. (I also use the excuse of having a British keyboard to avoid using accents when writing in Spanish, in case I make a mistake...) Oh, and I also make up my own punctuation rules.
So what does correct spelling represent aside from the fact that you know how to spell? That you care that you spell well? That you care what people think of you when they read your work/messages?
For me, language is what unites many of us. (And by default, language is also what separates many of us.) In trying to preserve its beauty and tradition, I suppose I am trying to preserve something I value. I suppose when I perceive that language isn't being treated with care, I get defensive about it and think that the transgressor doesn't care or value their own message. But I imagine I'm going too far and sometimes, it's just a question of what one is used to. Some people spell well, some people talk well, some people paint well, some people sell well, the list goes on...
There was recently (well, about a year ago) a debate on a forum I used to belong to, on precisely how important it was to write and spell well in business. I know it's important in all communication but I can't quite articulate why.
So sorry, but I am no clearer myself of where I stand with this, than I was at the beginning of the post - help, clarity someone - more thoughts?
(For those of you who speak Spanish, do visit the blog Tomás en Europa for a more eloquent view on the subject.)
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Comfortably simple - Cielo Nocturno by Soledad Puertolas
Cielo Nocturno
by Soledad Puertolas
A very simple tale of a young girl growing up during the 1950s - 70s in Spain - an honest and uncomplicated view of the world around her. A closed world that reflects very well mid 20th century Spanish society. The narrator remains anonymous, the city where the novel is set, nameless and yet the novel feels familiar and intimate throughout.
Told in the first person, the characters in the young girl´s life weave in and out of her story - her traditional father, her left-wing uncle, a mysterious and well-known guitar teacher, her rowdy cousins, a¨"semi-nun" teacher (semi monja), a couple of school friends who grow up to be nothing like their younger versions and of course, a left-wing heartbreaker who turns her world around.
I became absorbed by Soledad Puertolas´ book effortlessly - by her simple yet elegant prose and unassuming characters. I was reading the book in a café while waiting for a friend of mine to arrive. When he got there he asked: "What is the book about?" I replied a little surprised by my own answer: "It´s about ... nothing, about this girl and her life as she grows up..."
And yet the narrator´s persona, the river, the city, her parent´s house, her own room, the semi-nun, the uncle, the cousins, the lover... they´ve all stayed with me and will do so for a while.
(With apologies to this blog´s readers who don´t speak Spanish, as, as far as I know, this book has not been translated into English. If anyone knows whether any of Soledad Puertolas´ works have been translated into English and can be purchased online, please post details here - thanks!)
by Soledad Puertolas
A very simple tale of a young girl growing up during the 1950s - 70s in Spain - an honest and uncomplicated view of the world around her. A closed world that reflects very well mid 20th century Spanish society. The narrator remains anonymous, the city where the novel is set, nameless and yet the novel feels familiar and intimate throughout.
Told in the first person, the characters in the young girl´s life weave in and out of her story - her traditional father, her left-wing uncle, a mysterious and well-known guitar teacher, her rowdy cousins, a¨"semi-nun" teacher (semi monja), a couple of school friends who grow up to be nothing like their younger versions and of course, a left-wing heartbreaker who turns her world around.
I became absorbed by Soledad Puertolas´ book effortlessly - by her simple yet elegant prose and unassuming characters. I was reading the book in a café while waiting for a friend of mine to arrive. When he got there he asked: "What is the book about?" I replied a little surprised by my own answer: "It´s about ... nothing, about this girl and her life as she grows up..."
And yet the narrator´s persona, the river, the city, her parent´s house, her own room, the semi-nun, the uncle, the cousins, the lover... they´ve all stayed with me and will do so for a while.
(With apologies to this blog´s readers who don´t speak Spanish, as, as far as I know, this book has not been translated into English. If anyone knows whether any of Soledad Puertolas´ works have been translated into English and can be purchased online, please post details here - thanks!)
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