Ishmael

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Summary: This book was an eye opening thunderclap.
Review: Ishmael took everything that I thought or believed and turned it inside out and upside-down. I loved every minute of it. This was the most fabulous book I've had the pleasure of reading in my short time on this earth. Daniel Quinn is a fabulous writer aswell a genius intellectual. He is a philosopher for the ages in this life and the next.

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Summary: I would much rather have teeth pulled
Review: When I first heard about this book, I thought it must be really great because of all the attention it was recieving. Boy, what a disappointment. I found it completely annoying the way the gorilla repeats himself as if the reader has never had a thought of their own outside feeding themselves. It was insulting! The ideas were not profound. The only thing good that came out of this book is that it reached a group of people that probably would never have given environmentalism a second thought. For that I thank you, but as a work of good literature this book was far from it.

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Summary: everyone should read this book!!!!!!
Review: This book is far from being a masterpiece, but the journey it takes you on is well worth its minor flaws. Despite your beliefs, this book will open up your eyes more than once. I found myself saying out loud, "Wow! I never thought of that." Regardless of whether or not you agree with Quinn's ideas, anyone can benefit from embarking on his journey of revelations. And while I found myself skeptical at first, I too now belong to the religion of "Ishmael." A twelve out of ten.

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Summary: One of the most relevant books i've ever read.
Review: Ishmael was a wonderful book, and while I know I will ultimately fail to convey to you the impact it had on me I will say that it is a must read. If nothing else it might help to pull your head out of the sand and make you take an honest look around you. Questions, like what are we doing here, and what is the meaning of life are now in dire need of being answered. If we don't solve this problem we are finished. Are you happy with your life? Regardless of the answer, it's unlikely you will dawn a loin cloth and go scrounging in the forest for food. But we need to take the reality expressed in this book and put it to productive use. I think the more people that read this book the better. It signifies an unmistakable and necessary shift in the general perception of our current situation. Conrad T.

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Summary: Altered Perception
Review: Indeed, it truly alters my perception of how life around me goes about. Reread, it goes back to explain some of the gaps that occured along the way.

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Summary: Great book.
Review: I read this book in a History of Science course. While it is a good read for any reason, its dialogue on the developement of our society (hence our science) is most interesting.

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Summary: Life-shattering novel.
Review: A friend of mine handed me a book one day, and said, "Read this, it's a good book." The usualy skeptic, I asked him if it was some silly book that was going to waste my time. He said no, and I pushed the issue and asked him what it was about. He said he could never explain it, and that I just had to read it. I took a chance, and read the book. I've never made a better decision in my life. The book Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is the best book I've ever read. It changed my life irrevocably and made me take a long, hard look at the real world. I've since been able to see beyond cultural and religious lies and have found a new meaning in my life: Saving the world!

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Summary: Mind expansion at it's best
Review: Rarely do books challenge and stimulate the intellect. In Ishmael, Quinn succeeds in doing both, with his fresh ideas, ammalgamated from a lifetime of reading. His ideas are important and can lead to a new level of consciousness, one that now incorporates the possibility that our current 'path' is an evolutionary dead-end. As such, the visions are almost prophetic. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in looking beyond the forest.

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Summary: Ishmael changed the way I see the world!
Review: Ishmael changed the way I see the world! I am a sophomore in high school and after reading Ishmael and other of Quins books I have a larger world view than most of my teachers. I highly recommend this easy read to any body how ever questioned there parents, teachers, or politicians.

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Summary: A shocking perspective of humanity's impact on the world
Review: This novel addresses the fundamental solution to saving the world. EDUCATION. It all begins with dialogue. Quinn is successful in convincing us that our most recent behavior as a species is one of continuing destruction. Not just to ourselves, but to all living species. If we are to reverse this destructive trend, we must begin by discussing it today! The book refers to an interesting example. Our natural compassion gene tells us to help starving people in Africa by sending them food. What will result is the explosion of 10,000,000 starving individuals into 20,000,000 starving individuals due to their huge birth rate. What do we due? Do we let them starve? Do we educate them to how they can control their population? It is interesting to note that Mr. Quinn is illuminating us to the fact that we as a species have created this trajedy, and if we are to solve the problem we must understand what caused it. I was completely blown away by Quinn's observations and conclusions. It is a must read for anyone concerned with Spaceship Earth.