Rating: 
Summary: A very good read about something most of us will never do
Review: This book isn't life-changing or even inspirational--in a good way. I was hesitant initially because I thought the book might work a 'girl-power' angle as Greenlaw is one of, if not the only, female swordfish captains in the world. Instead, it does a fantastic job of describing a world most of us will never know--the inner workings of a fisherman's (woman's) life: the politics involved in pleasing a demanding boat owner and restless crew, the tedious waiting game where instincts and electronics seek the elusive fish many days away from shore, and the excitment of the non-stop work when the fishing is good. It even gives an account of the finances involved including a breakdown of the market price of fish and how it affects everyone's pay. I had no idea of the immense costs each fishing trip takes in equipment, food, and gas. It is a great look at the day-to-day life. Where it falls short is addressing some grander issues such as the environment and the history and future of fishing. Greenlaw does have a few sentences sprinkled throughout and it's clear that from her viewpoint that the environment hoopla about overfishing is overblown and while these statements do make the reader long for more knowledge on the topic, I guess the authenticity of the book is that we get the raw one-sided opinion of a true fisherman (woman) and not some policy wonk. A very good read.
Rating: 
Summary: A Surprise and a Treat
Review: When I first picked up this book I thought "Here is someone trying to cash in on 15 minutes of fame" as a character in Sebastian Junger's A PERFECT STORM. Nothing could be further from the truth. Linda Greenlaw does not write about the storm that claimed the crew of her sister ship, the Andrea Gail, but rather describes the routine of a normal month-long fishing trip on board the Hannah Boden to the Grand Banks in search of swordfish. I found the narrative to be honest and straightforward with wonderful moments of humor. The book was difficult to put down. Greenlaw captures both the adrenaline rush and the utter fatigue brought on my thirty days spent at sea. When I came to the end of the book, I had the same question the owner of the Hannah Boden always had for Greenlaw when she returned to Gloucester. "When are you going back out?"
Rating:
Summary: am i sea sick or was that sordfish bad?
Review: This is a great summer read. If you are interested in the life of a real fisherman, but don't want to get bogged down in all the details of a book like The Perfect Storm, then this is for you. Greenlaw gives lots of great stories and descriptive narrative that makes you feel like you are on the boat with her crew. From the thrill of a big catch, through the boredom of finding the right place to fish, to the personality conflicts between crew members and captains of other boats, this was an interesting and informative book.
Rating:
Summary: A very good read about something most of us will never do
Review: This book isn't life-changing or even inspirational--in a good way. I was hesitant initially because I thought the book might work a 'girl-power' angle as Greenlaw is one of, if not the only, female swordfish captains in the world. Instead, it does a fantastic job of describing a world most of us will never know--the inner workings of a fisherman's (woman's) life: the politics involved in pleasing a demanding boat owner and restless crew, the tedious waiting game where instincts and electronics seek the elusive fish many days away from shore, and the excitment of the non-stop work when the fishing is good. It even gives an account of the finances involved including a breakdown of the market price of fish and how it affects everyone's pay. I had no idea of the immense costs each fishing trip takes in equipment, food, and gas. It is a great look at the day-to-day life. Where it falls short is addressing some grander issues such as the environment and the history and future of fishing. Greenlaw does have a few sentences sprinkled throughout and it's clear that from her viewpoint that the environment hoopla about overfishing is overblown and while these statements do make the reader long for more knowledge on the topic, I guess the authenticity of the book is that we get the raw one-sided opinion of a true fisherman (woman) and not some policy wonk. A very good read.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic!
Review: I actually could not put this book down--I read it in one day. It provides a vicarious experience of a truly unique profession. Totally engrossing.
Rating:
Summary: Hungry or not -- this is the Perfect Ocean story
Review: There are few stories better than this. "In my experience, very few men are willing to pull their own teeth," Greenlaw writes near the end of the book. She's not bragging or complaining, simply stating a fact that by then is very obvious and logical. Deep sea fishing isn't easy, it's one of the toughest and most hazardous jobs available; but she has a love for it, and this book is her tribute to a way of life that is beyond the experience of most 9 to 5 wage slaves. Read this book, and you'll understand why there's nothing smart women can't accomplish. It's not a whine and moan session about women's rights or affirmative action; it's simply a superb account about how a talented and dedicated person can find success in anything they set out to do, based on talent, energy and dedication. "Alden once told me that his father, also a fisherman, told him that anyone who chooses to make fishing his occupation solely for the money is in the wrong business. If no thrill is experienced in catching fish, no satisfaction in going to sea and returning to shore, no pride in exclaiming 'I am a fisherman,' then a life on the water will be unfulfilling, perhaps even unbearable," Greenlaw writes. Her book is a wonderful story of why this is true. It's true for any job. If you don't like your work, then half or more of your life is misery. Greenlaw vividly explains why long-line fishermen will work 20-hour days for two or more weeks, spending a month at sea for every two days in port. It's insanity, pure and simple and wonderful; by the end of this book, every reader will wish they shared some of the same madness. She's a superb writer. This isn't simply about catching some fish; she writes about fishing with the same articulate skill as Patrick O'Brian does in his masterful stories of life under sail in the Napoleonic era. Greenlaw writes with humor, heartbreak and heroics; she even manages, in describing a month at sea when many other boats were catching few fish, to instill a palpable sense of suspense as to whether or not she and her crew will have a "slammer" of a trip or come home with nothing to show for a month's risk, work, pain and hardship. She's tough. As she admits, "Making unpopular decisions is part of being the captain." It's a habit modern managers should learn, instead of indulging their childish desires to be pals instead of professional. Greenlaw could handle any executive position in business, because she places more importance on integrity which generates personal and professional respect instead of feel-good excuses, slipshod results and indifferent quality. She's also kind and considerate, with a wonderful sense of humour. It's a superb book, some of the best writing I've read in years. Every reader will share the delight of people who love their work, and are good at it, plus an author who presents a fascinating accountg of what is otherwise an almost invisible career. Buy it. Read it. Perhaps, if there is any sense of quality left in Hollywood, someone will realize it has the content, quality and story line to make a superb film. After all, one of O'Brian's books is due out as a movie in late 2003, and the film of 'The Perfect Storm' about the loss of the Andrea Gail was released some time ago. Greenlaw weathered the same storm as the Andrea Gail, some 400 miles distant, then helped search for survivors. Her story is more impressive because she is real, she succeeds and she understands the pride that leads men to face such risks. Buy it. This is one of the most impressive books you'll ever read.
Rating:
Summary: Forget Carly Fiorina, Anne Mulcahy, and Meg Whitman!
Review: Here's a woman who exemplifies a great manager. Linda Greenlaw is not only a seasoned leader of men, but she writes compellingly...without a ghost writer! Cap'n Greenlaw commands the Hannah Boden (sister ship to the Andrea Gail of Sebastian Junger's Perfect Storm) and a crew of five hardy fishermen, and takes us on one of her month long voyages to the middle of the North Atlantic in pursuit of swordfish. Not only does she take on a traditionally male oriented world, she wallops it, taking home "the golden horseshoe" as the best swordboat captain on the Grand Banks. But don't think hers is a book extolling feminism. Quite the contrary, she insists on being called a `fisherman'. "People, women in particular, are generally disappointed when they learn that I have not suffered unduly from being the only woman in what they perceive to be a man's world. I might be thick-skinned - or just too damn busy working to worry what others might think of me." She beats the boys because her "slammer" trips aren't a fluke: she employs sophisticated strategy, meticulous attention to detail, and stretches the playing rules to the max. She is unafraid to make unpopular decisions, and to push her crew beyond their limits. Fans of Larry Bossidy's popular management text 'Execution' will appreciate how Ms. Greenlaw baits and sets her hooks. Her precision, even in the face of grueling conditions, sets her apart. She is hands-on, with an eye always to the next horizon. In short, a textbook executive. Her portraits of her crew members (Ringo, Charlie, Kenny, Peter and the tempestuous Carl,) and various fishing comrades are rich, - and in the cases of Jethro, the rookie fisherman, and dear old Uncle Patty - hilarious. Anyone with a tough boss will immediately recognize the love-hate relationship she endures with her boat's owner, Bob Brown. If you agree that people who take non-traditional routes through life are interesting to read about, choose this 258 page non-fictional account of Colby College graduate Linda Greenlaw and her choice to sail the seas for seventeen seasons of swordfishing. This book is a "slammer."
Rating: 
Summary: Fathoming her fishing line
Review: One gains genuine admiration for Linda Greenlaw when reading her tale of fishing for sword fish. What a genuinely courageous and strong-willed woman she is! Despite the directional and technical details that are a bit confusing to the average land lubber, Greenlaw's biographical tome relates the amazing facts involved in the dangerous job of commercial fishing. Greenlaw's boat and crew, absolutely modern and up-to-date in all meters and communications, still rely on the ultimate on-site management skills of the captain with the crew, who all stand to sink or swim in their month long fishing trip. There are laughs along the way as Greenlaw relates previous experiences and excitement reigns as she and her crew make each haul. The economics of the operation present some surprising facts and create new appreciation in the reader. Greenlaw's book would make a great parallel text in business management training. Her enthusiasm for her job is inspirational. Her varied crew stands as a microcosim of a larger business operation of any kind.
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