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Rating: 
Summary: The dehumanization of globalization
Review: A thoughtful meditation on dehumanization, "The Fountain at the Center of the World" is at once a classical morality play in the tradition of the great humanists (Victor Hugo comes to mind: Newman even presents a somewhat Javert-like police inspector) and a revolutionary polemic for the twenty-first century.
Evan Hatch tries to escape his Mexican peasant origins by working P.R. for multinational corporations, only to find he was condemned to death before he was even born, infected by "a poor man's disease." His impending death is made all the more tragic by his inability to grasp his mortality. Corporate mentality has effectively taken over his mind to the point where, even when terminally ill, Hatch can only think about corporate strategy. The corporation long ago acquired Hatch's mind. Most pitiably, Hatch is such a tool of capital that he never realizes he has become a mere puppet, fit for Day of the Dead theater. The dehumanizing effect of corporate globalization on even those in the halls of power is perhaps the novel's sharpest edge of truth. (I'm reminded of Thomas Jefferson's lamentation of the adverse effects of the slave economy on the morality of the planter.)
An example of what might have been, Hatch's long-lost brother Chano lives a life full of humanity while on the run from the state. Chano constantly wrestles with big ideas and struggles with his own conflicted, deep-rooted idealism, all the while oppressed by a system as big as the world. He finally finds peace of mind in a local people's movement of stateless socialism.
Newman occasionally hits the reader over the head with his themes, but his artlessness here seems appropriate for the urgency of his subject. And Newman becomes more stylistically ambitious (with mixed results) as the novel climaxes in the midst of the WTO protests of 1999. Newman's impressionistic recounting of the "Battle of Seattle" haunts the reader, as if you were seeing the event through the eyes of a protester, clubbed on the head by a cop, drifting in and out of consciousness, squinting to see through the fog of tear gas, barely making out the outline of some deeper truth in the ether.
Rating:
Summary: got it right!
Review: It is so very satisfying to finally have access to fiction that represents the realties of those of us who participate in the global social justice movement. The author was obviously here in Seattle during the events of November 1999. Sometimes I imagine he was right behind me. He got it right on so many levels. The novel is surprisingly well plotted and fast paced, considering the stereotype of most political novels. It is also humorous throughout. I did not want to put it down until I found out what happened. When it was over I was sorry I rushed through it so quickly. I'm sure this novel will be applauded as word of mouth spreads. We have found another writer whose works we can eagerly anticipate.
Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected
Review: The subject matter intrigued me. The backdrop of the Seattle riots was informative and interesting.
But I just couldn't get into it. Everything seemed one-dimensional. It was like a political instruction booklet, except, poorly disguised as fiction. Mind you, I happen to agree with the author's politics, but I found the book quite flat.
The descriptions of the riots were good, but the characters seem poorly constructed. They were mostly one dimensional (even the young Mexican police captain who practiced yoga in his office)
None of the characters had the complexity that is often inherent in people. Nor did its subject matter seem complex. Which is interesting, since, humans, expecially interesting people tend to be complex, just like provocative topics like globalization.
In addition, the book relies too much of its politics on a black and white, us versus them, we're always right -they wrong perspective. Personally, I believe that complex topics are not covered well or done much justice, if the approach is that constricting.
At other times the book can get over-the-top sappy (politically).
I liked "No Logo" better.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth your time!
Review: This novel deserves a wide audience. It is well-written and profound on many levels. It is not merely about the WTO meetings/protests in Seattle in 1999 but about people in the first and third worlds and the lives they lead. I found the characters fascinating. The author's insights into the characters really moved me. All the characters came alive for me. Give the book a chance and you won't be dissapointed. I plan to seek out the author's other works. He deserves to be better known and more widely read.
Rating:
Summary: A grand tale that informs
Review: What a lovely book. Fearing a screaming polemic, The Fountain at the Center of the World is a humane look at differing sides of the WTO issue told through a family. This is an enlightening look at the Seattle WTO conflict told vertically as well as horizontally by the adventures of two brothers and a son separated by life. All three meet eventually in what was the battle in Seattle. Newman is an extraordinary author who we can look forward to more good work.
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