Reviews for Life Stories: The Creation of Coherence

The average rating for Life Stories: The Creation of Coherence based on 2 reviews is 5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-11-25 00:00:00 Raphael Riordan I read this book during my graduate studies in Anthropology, and what Linde reveals has stayed with me in the years since. Linde's argument is that most Westerners--exposed to the bible, folktales, novels, and movies from their earliest lives--compose their own life story within their heads. Linde's most interesting discovery is that this life story changes over time. An event that seemed disastrous as it was happening, for example, can later on be seen as a turning point that led to a positive change. Events that seemed random are re-cast as intentional the result as fate in order to give them meaning. This description is an oversimplification of the book's contents, which are based on people's retellings of their job histories, but gives a sense of them. Linde's observations not only contributed to my further graduate school work, but with how I dealt with people afterward. Now that I'm a writer, it is even more useful. I HIGHLY recommend this book for those who can read at a graduate school (or even upper-division college) level in linguistics, anthropology or sociology.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-08-26 00:00:00 Martha C Goss This groundbreaking work is an essential read for anyone interested in the life history method. The ties to Foucault's discourse theory are important and insightful, grounding an abstract notion into a useful and pragmatic methodology. The narratives selected on career choices and trajectories mark the end of an affluent age in the United States and the dawn of an era of restricted latitude in such matters. It will be interesting to see how career history narratives have changed since the start of the 2008 recession. Perhaps Linde herself would take on this challenge?