Book Review -
In the Tiger's Mouth
An Empowerment Guide For Social Action
by Katrina Shields
Sydney: Millennium Books, E.J. Dwyer, 1991. $16.95

This is an important book.  I'd suggest that anybody interested in or
concerned with how to do more effective work for progressive social change in
Australia ought to add this book to their collection, and closely study and
engage in the exercises contained here.  

Katrina Shields has been a social activist and community worker in the
Northern Rivers (of New South Wales eds) for many years.  Drawing on her own
experiences, experiences of friends and other activists, and on a wealth of
related literature, she has collected together the essential elements of a
balanced and sustainable approach to working for change.  She's been there,
and done that, so her approach carries enormous authenticity.  We can
identify personally with much of what Katrina describes.  

For people with years of experience in social activism, Katrina's book
presents little that is really original or new.  The cartoons by Phil
Somerville, though, are original, and nicely complement the text, even
raising a smile or the occasional giggle.  

Katrina quotes from many old friends of mine, including the classic "Resource
Manual for a Living Revolution" produced by New Society Publishers, a Quaker
group in the U.S., and Joanna Rogers Macy's "Despairwork", also published by
New Society.  In many respects, "In the Tiger's Mouth" is a summary or a
distillation of these, and many other 'How To' books, with the helpful
addition of many quotes or statements from Australian activists.  It can get
a little irritating to constantly read on Pegasus and elsewhere the stories
of Americans, with nary an Australian contribution to be seen.  It could then
be argued that trans-Pacific experiences of being an activist, the excitement
and despair, the victories, failures, and burnouts, are fairly common.  They
indeed are, but I do like Katrina's use of Australian examples and
experiences nonetheless.  

"In the Tiger's Mouth" starts from the individual, with three chapters on
'Inner Resources for Social Change'.  This isn't some flakey 'New Age'
nonsense about meditation as a tool to change the planet, a.k.a. that drivel
about Hundredth Monkeys {the monkeys are the loons who believe that
anti-scientific garbage}, but rather the important recognition that awakening
to the plight of the planet is scary, disturbing, and deeply unsettling.  One
ought to do something about it, but what, and how?  Heal yourself as well as
heal the planet; the two go together.  Why should crazies be expected to
contribute to sustainable social change when they can barely cope with life
themselves?  Keeping yourself sane and intact is essential.  

Being able to work effectively with others is also essential, and Katrina
goes on to examine ways in which people can sustainably and caringly
cooperate to do positive actions.  Her suggestions are sound, reality-tested,
and varied. In many respects, her contribution here lies not in its
originality or in some profound breakthrough in practical action theory, but
in its presentation in one place of many useful ideas and practices.  Katrina
Shields has done us all a service by putting a wide range of useful material
together in a highly readable and useful book.  This middle section is worth
the price of the book itself. 

Finally, Katrina deals with the problem of burnout.  I've suffered from it,
as have many other activists.  Burnout is the bone weariness, the angst, the
despair of putting one's self out, almost beyond mental and physical limits,
for years, and seemingly achieving nothing.  Similarly, social change groups
are notorious for their schisms and factionalising.  In-fighting and group
disillusion, individual ego massaging and power-seeking tear groups apart.  I
would see this partly as a function of groups fighting against manifestations
of domination importing dominating practices into their own ranks because it
is all but expected of them by the wider society, itself riddled with
domination.  Katrina Shields has some useful suggestions on dealing with
these problems as well.  

This book has suggestions which are going to be photocopied and passed
around.  Katrina virtually invites this copyright rip-off by including
check-lists, exercise diagrams, and charts to assist understanding her ideas.
In the Tiger's Mouth is so nicely produced and laid out that it would be
vandalistic to scribble on the pages.  I would not be too surprised to see
some of the cartoons appearing in various social change magazines and
pamphlets in the not too distant futures.  When I met Katrina in Lismore
recently, one of her friends remarked that "....the movement urgently needs
some new graphics for its publications, and here they are!"

Her 'Further Reading' section is thorough and not overwhelming.  It should be
fairly easy to track down most of the books recommended.  

If this book were only half as good as it is, I'd say "Buy it, simply because
Australian work of this kind deserves all our support".  In the Tiger's Mouth
is an important contribution to the Australian literature on effective,
sustainable, and sustaining social change, so get it, read it, and try out
the exercises and practices herein.  Thanks lots, Katrina.
Mark D. Hayes


Preface from In the Tiger's Mouth

There are many recipes for the Good Life, ranging from ancient spiritual
practices to the latest techniques for health, wealth and self-improvement. 
In whatever various ways we may define it, after all that is what we want - a
Good Life.

What is striking to me in today's world is the growing number of people for
whom the Good Life involves some form of social change work.  I find more and
more people of all ages and walks of life wanting to make a difference in
their world.  They see the social and economic injustices, the dangers of
nuclear disaster and environmental destruction - and instead of burying their
heads in the sand and going on with business-as-usual, they want to take part
in the healing of their world.

This in itself is wonderfully promising; yet the sad fact is that only a
small portion of those who want this manage to make social action a sustained
and sustaining part of their lives.  Many are stopped before they start -
stopped by feelings of isolation, by notions that they don't possess the
necessary expertise or moral stamina, or by fears of losing control of their
lives.  Others who do take the plunge and engage in activist campaigns,
eventually burn out, withdraw in fatigue - as is evident from the high turn
over in many change organizations.  For all of these, be they the
self-distrusting or the battle-weary, it is not enough to keep sounding the
alarm of planetary peril, or by repeating exhortations to social
responsibility.

For those many - and indeed for all of us - we need a recipe book that
connects the personal with the political, the inner with the outer.  We need
a compilation of easy, practical methods for embarking on social action, and
sustaining and enjoying it, so that it is no longer seen as a daunting,
demanding exercise in self-sacrifice.  We need pointers for finding our own
deep sources of energy and vision, so that our work for the world runs like
an ever-refreshing stream through our lives.

Here, praise be, is such a recipe book.  This volume offers in an inviting,
accessible form just the kind of help we all need for finding personal
fulfilment and effectiveness in social change work.

I am delighted that it is offered to us by so wise and compassionate a woman
as Katrina Shields.  As a trained occupational therapist, a gifted
counsellor, a veteran activist and group empowerment facilitator, she has a
rich storehouse of skills and experience on which to draw.  And she shares it
generously, with a kind of luminous humility.  I love it that this book is so
free of cant, so deceptively simple in tone, so perceptive and respectful of
our humanity.

Whether you are an old hand in social change work or new to the game, there
is rich fare for you in these pages.  In addition to the author's own
reflections and experiences, we find stories form the lives of many
activists, and an array of personal and group exercises so appealing and
practical that one itches to try them straight off.  Reading them I am
reminded once again that the greatest challenge of our time can also be our
greatest joy - to join together in the healing of our world.
Joanna Macy