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Ishmael by Daniel Quinn
Has anyone read this? This is the most important book I've ever read.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by DannytheK on -
Hi Adam:
It is a good read. I've continued to read other books by Quinn and have been happy with the work as well. I suggest you continue down this path.
Other authors you may be interested in that I've enjoyed include: Annie Dillard (Pilgram at Tinker Creek) and Edward Abbey (Desert Solitaire)
Best,
Dan King
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Permalink Reply by Steve Larrick on -
Yes, ISHMAEL is an awesome book of fiction that seeks to express the perspective of the natural world through the mind of an ape that has the power to communicate telepathically. It provides a valuable viewpoint that challenges some of the arrogant assumptions of humans that have caused unnecessary suffering in the past and threaten our collective future.
A similarly powerful non-fiction book is BLACK ELK SPEAKS, which provides a Native American perspective on how we are all interconnected in a complex web of life and how we need to project a greater reverence for all life.
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Permalink Reply by Amber Nore on -
Yes, I read Ishmael shortly after giving birth to my daughter, Chloe. It was suggested to me through another book that I had read- "The Continuum Concept" on attachment parenting. I also read "My Ishmael" and loaned my copy out to someone that never gave it back! I have re-read Ishmael several times, and I always come away with further understanding and a renewed sense of purpose. I would like to read more of Quinn's books.
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Permalink Reply by Anne on -
Adam,
Of course you already know I have read Quinn. I really liked If Given Lined Paper Write Sideways. I am surprised that Tom Brown Jr books were not also in this post. What about Quinn's book changed how you looked the world? Or made it the most important book you have read?
I love you.
Anne
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Permalink Reply by Kim Starlin on -
I have read Ishmael, and I imagine every other available book by Daniel Quinn.
This isn't really a response to Adam, it's more of a continuum of sorts
The question is why should you read Ishmael?
All the questions dancing about in your head that you've lacked the context to tackle just might come into focus when you have this information to stand on. This is how I felt while reading Ishmael.
Through a fictional student-learner dialogue - oddly enough between a gorilla and a man - Quinn uses Ishmael to tackle some of the the most pressing concerns of our world, and gives us something positive to move toward.
People are dissatisfied with working in drudgery for eight or more hours a day, but they see no alternative if they don't want to be a bum on the street. They see that the environment is in trouble, and that our perpetual population growth is threatening the planet, but we don't know how to call an end to the all the escalating wars. This book will completely change your view on the development of our culture. For years I've grappled with pieces of the picture, but I've never been able to put it into an easily digestible and relevant ideology. Whenever I try to bring up the pieces with people, I feel like I need to go over huge swaths of history, and the attempts usually fail. Though, I do applaud myself for the attempt.
But Ishmael is an approachable and enjoyable read that will not depress you so much as make you wonder what the next step is. For me, it is a long liberating, and very fulfilling journey. A lot of my transformations have involved reconstructing the way I think. Dan brings this up in many, if not all of his books when he speaks of memes. I have spent over a decade now deconstructing unsustainable thoughts, habits, and practices, that have changed everything from the way I cook, to the way I love.
It isn't about screwing with the system or futile gestures. It's about changing our culture's dream. These visions are what have changed our world throughout human existence, and will again.
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