Reviews : Millennium People: The Soul of Success Derek Burnett Hibiscus Books, 1999; pp144; £16.95, pbk ISBN 0 9535383 0 3
| Published date | 01 December 2000 |
| Author | Jennifer Butler |
| Date | 01 December 2000 |
| DOI | 10.1177/026455050004700419 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
288
skills
base
as
being
premised
upon
instinct
and
’hunches’
as
presumptuous
and
patronising.
What
is
welcome,
however,
is
an
emphasis
throughout
on
complexity
and
the
’unknowable’
as
well
as
an
uncharacteristic
acknowledgement
of
the
limitations
of
the
’psy’
disciplines
and
the
need
to
take
into
account
individual
circumstances
and
characteristics
rather
than
generalise
according
to
subjective
criteria.
This
contrasts
favourably
with
the
overbearing
optimism
characteristic
of
much
current
psychological
research.
Minor
quibbles
aside,
most
practitioners -
even
those
who
do
not
(yet)
regard
their
primary
responsibilities
as
policing
and
investigation -
will
gain
something
of
use
from
this
publication.
Mark
Hardy
Probation
Officer,
Inner
London
Millennium
People:
The
Soul
of
Success
Derek
Burnett
Hibiscus
Books,
1999;
pp144;
£16.95,
pbk
ISBN
0
9535383
0 3
This
type
of
book
would
not
have
caused
so
much
as
an
eyelid
to
blink
had
it
been
published
in
the
USA,
such
is
the
lengthy
and
acknowledged
history
that
black
people
have
in
that
country.
In
the
UK,
however,
it
is
a
different
story;
for
despite
there
having
been
a
black
presence
in
this
country
for
hundreds
of
years,
this
presence
is
not
so
readily
acknowledged
and
it
is
generally
only
the
post-Windrush
generation
that
is
ever
commented
upon.
However,
this
book
can
be
viewed
as
ground
breaking
given
that
it
is
quite
possibly
the
first
’coffee
table’
style
picto-biographical
account
of
successful
black
people
in
the
UK.
For
the
editor
it
is
obviously
a
labour
of
love.
He
informs
us
of
how
the
project
takes
shape
over
a
number
of
years
as
he
dashes
around
trying
to
photograph
his
subjects.
The
book
is
interesting
and
informative
in
that
it
does
not
dwell
on
the
old
chestnuts
of
music
and
sport
but
shows
black
people
who
have
contributed
and
excelled
in
all
areas
of
UK
life.
Unfamiliar
names
sit
alongside
the
more
familiar
ones
and
we
get
to
see
academics,
entrepreneurs,
armed
forces
personnel
and
judges,
as
well
as
footballers,
singers
and
actors.
Each
individual
tells
their
story
as
to
how
they
achieved
in
their
particular
field.
Few
dwell
on
the
negative
aspects
of
racism,
instead
praising
the
support
of
their
family
networks.
This
is
refreshing
as
it
shatters
the
myth
of
the
black
family
unit
as
dysfunctional
and
many
of
the
individuals
profiled
hail
from
back-
grounds
that
could
only
be
described
as
middle
class,
again
dispelling
another
myth.
The
photographs
are
shot
in
black
and
white
and
while
some
of
them
are
very
obviously
posed
as
if
for
press
releases,
others
look
more
natural.
Very
minor
criticisms
would
be
in
the
fact
that
it
is
a
softback
rather
than
a
hardback
and
that
the
quality
of
the
paper
could
have
been
better;
but
this
would
have
pushed
the
price
of
the
book
up
and
it
is
good
value
for
money.
One
very
minor
note
of
discontent -
and
this
is
purely
on
a
personal
level.
Perhaps
wantmg
to
avoid
the
charge
of
failing
Norman
Tebbit’s
cricket
test,
several
individuals
decline
to
name
their
ethnic
background
on
the
grounds
that
they
are
British.
Perhaps
they
feel
that
it
doesn’t
matter
or
they
no
longer
need
to
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