Experiencing Reality

Cathey’s introduction to Experiencing Reality states that the purpose of his book is not to provide a technical manual but rather a series of stories for the reader to freely interpret for themselves. All stories begin with a quote, and most end with a paragraph (or sentence) how the experience relates to Cathey’s varying approaches to work as an agent of change.

I found most of the stories provoking thought in a pleasantly straightforward way and but a few falling short due to insufficient content which, in these moments, pressed the narrative into producing a somewhat moralising tone. These stories came across in need of further polishing to not be described as simply stating bog-standard common sense. But on the whole, Cathey’s earnest and uncomplicated writing embodies his competence as an agent of change for young people and the reader will get the most out of these stories if they are interested in working in similar areas. It is through the more spontaneous situations in his stories that Cathey actually goes into some basic level of practical technique (despite his earlier saying otherwise) and this is where he is obviously at his best—and the book at its most applicable. "Working Within People’s Capabilities" was a stand-out story for me in this regard as was "Stacking Firewood".

This book could be considered as a useful primer for people starting out in the field of change work and a handy reference tome for the years to follow.