Product reviews for The Salmon of Knowledge

Nick Owen's latest book of stories brings together an eclectic international collection of tales ancient and modern, secular and non secular. Some are familiar others not so, yet, as with all good stories, they speak to themes we can recognise. Of course, that is the point. The stories here will challenge, amuse, entertain and stretch enabling the reader to explore him or herself and potentially gain a new perspective. Certainly reading these stories left me feeling refreshed and ready to look at the world differently. They provoked a fewah-ha moments and initiated possibilities. Equally interesting is Nicks own story, partly about the genesis of the book and partly about things/situations/ideas which have influenced him and hence the book, which is interwoven in the sections and towards the end of the book

Nick has organised the stories according to seven sections or chautauquas and four key themes. These classifications have provided a framework for Nicks commentary” which sometimes seems a little didactic. You might choose to overlook the commentary and dive straight into the stories themselves taking out whatever they provoke in you or for you. However, for many the commentary will prove useful at some point as it provides a guide to stories for certain situations and aids interpretation.



The book works well on a number of levels” for the individual looking for inspiration and stimulation as well as for professionals looking for stories to illustrate/aid their own work. For me, as an executive coach and trainer, the book will be a valuable source of stories to dip into. Taken as a whole the book also provides an informed look into the way stories are constructed and have, throughout history, helped us examine, and make sense of, ourselves and the world around us.