|
|
Title: Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
Purchase
Item
Manufacturer: Bantam
List Price: $17.00
Our Price: $4.95
|
|
| Customer Reviews: |
| Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Bantam Underwhelmed | I'm puzzled by the critical acclaim and flood of positive reviews this book has received. It isn't terrible, I guess. Certainly, I was drawn in by the first chapter, which has quite possibly the best narrative hook I've read in years. But after that it quickly descends into a long, boring, preachy monologue from an insufferably smug ape.
You could say that Ishmael is not a traditional novel, that the point is the philosophy, not the plot. But none of the philosophy particularly knocked my socks off. I don't think there was a single idea in this book I haven't heard somewhere before (with a few exceptions, like the reinterpretation of Genesis, which I found interesting). Yes, the human species has become overpopulated due to lack of competition and abundant food supply. Any biology student knows this. And I think most people of my generation are accustomed to being lectured that the Earth is not a toy and does not belong to us. Yet the author seems to think these ideas are mind-shattering and wildly new. I quickly became irritated by the way the narrator constantly reacts to this recycled philosophy with shock and awe...and it struck me as narcissistic on the author's part. It's quite clear that Ishmael is basically the author in a gorilla suit, using the character to broadcast his own views. And our narrator conveniently thinks everything he says is brilliant.
The ideas aren't even convincingly argued. The book is philosophically sloppy. The author uses a great deal of analogy, which can be useful as an illustration, but is not a substitute for logical proofs and evidence. And the main point of the book, the message that's supposed to change our lives, is simply underwhelming. Basically, it boils down to, "the world doesn't belong to us, we belong to the world." Is this really a new concept to anyone? In my experience, most people nowadays--educated, left-leaning people, anyway, the sort of people likely to buy this book--are perfectly willing to agree with this sentiment. So what's the point of reiterating it?
Another issue is the black-and-white view of the world portrayed. Ishamel describes the Takers (his synonym for "civilized" people) as motivated purely by greed and the desire to control everything around them, and portrays the Leavers ("primitive" people) as living an ideal, carefree lifestyle. While living in a hunter-gatherer society is probably preferrable to some things--being an underpaid sweatshop worker, for instance--it's got its own share of problems, all of which are glossed over or whitewashed. Contrary to what Ishmael implies, hunter-gatherers don't always have a bounty of food available to them. If you don't believe me, go out into the wilderness yourself and see how many edible plants you can find or how many animals you can catch. "Takers" are motivated less by greed and power-hunger than by the desire for longer, safer lives and simple physical comforts...but of course, the author has to portray them as being driven solely by a warped philosophy, or his message won't have any impact.
If you still want to read this book, I'd recommend getting it from the library or borrowing it from someone. It's not awful, simply redundant and mediocre, and undeserving of the acclaim it's received. | | Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Bantam Worth Reading | I began reading this book because it was given to me by a friend, and I'd found myself only interested in the local paper at the time. At first I was not very interested and did not like the beginning, which read like poor motivational/inspirational narration, much like the first sentence of this review.
The first 60 pages greatly upset me. "What did you give me?" I asked my friend. "The first 60 pages is just a guy and a damn gorilla talking!" And it didn't look like much else was going to happen from there. Yet, I pressed on, much like the champion that I am.
I am almost finished with it and felt compelled to write a review early, because I would recommend this book most definitely. My appreciation of it is from a stand point of economy among the Earth's species, and I feel that many other people with more deeply philosophical minds than mine will find this book not only interesting and enjoyable, but enriching.
You will be richer for having read it, even if it is through the vehicle of a man talking to a damn gorilla. | | Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Bantam excellent read but lacks depth | I enjoyed reading this book, which is full of urgent arguments about the human race's past and future, making it clear that there is something deeply wrong with the world as it presently is, and that dramatic change is required if we are to survive and prosper as a species. However, since it's a work of fiction, the author is free to speculate and theorise without providing any real back up for his assertions. Much the same ground is covered in a much more satisfying and powerful way by Steve Taylor in The Fall, which works as an excellent non-fiction companion to this book, and in many ways improves on it. The Fall: The Evidence for a Golden Age, 6,000 years of Insanity and the Dawning of a New Era
| | Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Bantam Recommend for quick read that you can really get into | This book has a totally different approach to any other kind of cultural history book.
It has a very important, some might say the most important, message to get across and does it in a gripping background story that involves two interesting main characters. I would give it a 9 out of 10 b/c it did feel shortness cut off some potential, however there are two sequels so I guess I should read those before passing judgement. I say that anyone who is interested in some provocative topics and is open minded, would enjoy this quick but intense read. | | Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Bantam Ishmael | | Excellent book on the world as it is now. And how it got that way. Recommended reading-yes. | | Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Bantam Product Description | | The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local newspaper from a teacher looking for serious pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling delicately on a slender branch. "You are the teacher?" he asks incredulously. "I am the teacher," the gorilla replies. Ishmael is a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story to tell, one that no other human being has ever heard. It is a story that extends backward and forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth of time to a future there is still time save. Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever imagined? |
| |
