Review of Agent of Change

[Harsha Jadhav]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Agent of Change" by Barry Kohl.]

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2 out of 5 stars

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<i>Agent-of-Change</i> by <i>Barry Kohl</i> is an intriguing book about friendships, careers and love. But most importantly, it is a book that speaks, in no uncertain or roundabout way about the discrimination against women. In fact, the struggle women have to face in male-dominated fields is the central theme for the story.
Yanira Martinez is a successful lawyer working for a famous law firm, Butler and Mackenzie. A tomboy and a sports enthusiast, Yanira is living a comfortable life with her best friend who is also an associate at the same firm, Helen. Yanira is a good researcher and she has a strong memory. With her skills, she is an asset to the firm and despite winning a big case for them, she is still passed over for a senior partner at the firm. Slighted, angry and wounded, Yanira decides to quit being a lawyer and become a sports agent. But being a sports agent is also a difficult field. She faces struggles she hadn’t anticipated. Meanwhile, Helen is facing different problems at the firm and with Yanira gone, she is unsure what to do. Yanira’s personal life is not faring much better than her professional life. Yanira needs to make a breakthrough as a sports agent or else she will lose everything.
The book shines the light on the struggles and discrimination faced by women in male-dominated fields. Despite such a heavy subject, the book maintains a playful air. The book follows multiple characters. The story contains many sports trivia and metaphors. Decisions made by characters are abrupt for example, Yanira’s decision to become a sports agent is abrupt. There is no insight into her thought process or explanation for this sudden decision.
There are many typos and grammatical errors and it is very distracting. I couldn’t focus on the story completely because of these errors. There were many sentences, where I couldn’t even make sense of what the author was trying to say.
I rate this book 2 out of 5 stars for its selection of subject and boldness in expressing said subject. But the story is shallow and all over the place.

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Agent of Change
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[Yuri Oliveira]

Elizabeth Eisenstein, in her seminal work The Printing Press as an Agent of Change, offers a deep and comprehensive analysis of the impacts of Gutenberg's invention of the printing press on Western society. Originally published in 1980, the work is structured in two volumes totaling around 750 pages and is widely recognized for its significant contribution to the historiography of communication and culture.

Eisenstein argues that the invention of the printing press not only facilitated the dissemination of ideas but also profoundly transformed the social, political, and religious structures of Europe. She introduces the concept of an “unacknowledged revolution,” referring to the deep impact of print—a force often underestimated but essential to the transition from the Middle Ages to Modernity.

The author highlights three main areas in which the press functioned as an agent of change:

Dissemination of Knowledge: Printing enabled the mass production of books, making knowledge more accessible and promoting a broader culture of reading.

Standardization and Preservation of Knowledge: The ability to reproduce texts identically contributed to the standardization of knowledge and the preservation of works for future generations.

Impact on Social and Cultural Structures: The dissemination of ideas through print influenced major historical movements such as the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution, reshaping power dynamics and modes of thought in European society.

Eisenstein also notes that the printing press contributed to the development of a “print culture,” in which the production and circulation of written texts played a central role in shaping the cultural and intellectual identity of modern Europe.

Eisenstein’s work is recognized for its rigorous and detailed approach and is considered essential reading for scholars in the fields of history, communication, and cultural studies. Her analysis provides a profound understanding of how the invention of the printing press not only transformed knowledge production but also shaped the social and cultural structures of modern Europe.

[Kibet Hillary]

The book seems to shed some light on a very important and critical topic and it reminds me of an almost similar book I read last year, which revolved around systemic discrimination. I hope that the errors you pointed out and any other will be corrected. Nice work here, @Harsha Jadhav; the review is informative.

[Hills Christopher Albert]

Thanks for the honest and thoughtful review. I appreciate that the book tackles such an important issue—gender discrimination in male-dominated fields—and that it gives voice to the struggles women still face. It’s unfortunate to hear that the execution didn’t quite live up to the subject matter. I was especially interested in the career switch to sports agent, but it sounds like it needed more development. Still, I might give it a look just to see how the themes are explored. Hopefully the author will consider editing improvements in future editions!

[Ami Sanghavi]

I appreciate how you pointed out the important theme of women facing discrimination in male-dominated fields; it sounds like the book tackles a vital issue. Your mention of the abrupt character decisions and distracting errors really helps set realistic expectations. Thanks for the honest review; it gives a clear sense of both the book’s strengths and its weaknesses.