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 False prophet January 6, 2009
It is a pity so many are taken in so thoroughly by this little book. It is a nice fairy tale in the most banal sense, and was recommended to me years ago by a naturalist colleague who had swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Wanting to be on his same page, I read it, too--hopefully--yet found myself saying, "what?" out loud so many times people stared. I still find people today--grown men--who live and die by this book. All I can guess is that critical thinking was not emphasized in their educations. Ishmael's only redeeming character, as a few reviewers have noted, is that it brings forth discussions that need to be debated and cleared. Since reading this book I have gone on to get a Master's degree in natural history, writing, and ecology, and (again, repeating a previous reviewer), no academic, philosopher, writer or scientist I have crossed paths with of any intellectual level has considered "Ishmael" as a book to be reckoned with. It is simply pop psychology. Its purpose, as far as I can tell, is to make the human reader feel righteous, speciest, and better about the world around himself. If you want true ecology, check out some of the texts reviewed by John Anderson in Maine. He'll point you in a more critical direction and get your brain on fire with ideas that have some meat on them (or fruit, if you resent the carnivorous reference.) Unfortunately, the disciples of "Ishmael" continue to perpetuate, and I can only hope that the reading of such fluff will make most people realize that it is high time they should be thinking for themselves.
Bankrupt January 5, 2009
Writing as one who teaches Conservation and Environmental Sciences at the college level, I can say that this book contains more factual, scientific, and ethical flaws than any other single book I have ever read. If you wish to teach students to think critically this would be a great book to dismember paragraph by paragraph. It represents the worst of 1970's touch-feely environmental thought. I could write a dissertation on the problems this book represents. The most fascinating and disturbing aspect of the book is its ability to completely seduce the uniformed. I have yet to meet a single academic Historian, Anthropologist, Geographer, or Environmental Scientist, who likes this book.
Self-indulgent twaddle December 30, 2008
Daniel Quinn's "Ishmael" is such an agonizingly frustrating read that you may want to gouge your eyes out before you finish the first few chapters. To be fair, there's nothing wrong with the premise. A grumpy old gorilla who plays Socrates while teaching an oh-so-willing pupil about the evils of modern humanity -- and the destruction that our species is destined to bring upon itself -- is a promising enough foundation. It could even be captivating. Thing is, there's so much self-hatred splashed with self-righteousness running on for page after page that you can't help wondering why the author didn't try just a little bit harder to find a more constructive tone in which to share his perfectly valid message.br /br /Yes, kudos to the author for taking on a very thorny and important topic. I also found enjoyable the passages in which we learn about the gorilla's past, and how he lived his life to old age. But the rest of the book felt like a stern, patronizing and repetitive talking-to. Worst of all, Quinn doesn't try to solve any problems, suggest any solutions, or inspire any action. If you could reach the end of the story and feel that you (or the author) has an opportunity to make the world a better place, you'd feel darn good about reading "Ishmael". But that's not in the cards. Perhaps the best way to appreciate this book is to keep your expectations low and not take too seriously the grating harangue of your simian instructor.
 Life Changing. Mind Altering. December 19, 2008
This book changed my life. I first read Ishmael about 15 years ago, when I was 25, and it changed the way I thought. It changed the way I looked at the world (or perhaps validated how I saw it differently than almost everyone I knew). I highly recommend this book for any reader who wants to challenge their world view and go through some deep self-reflection.br /br /Christine Ethan Rose are the authors of the new award-winning fantasy Rowan of the Wood.
Ew December 8, 2008
1 out of 4 found this review helpful
I absolutely hated this book. It was a summer reading assignment for an AP World History and Culture class. Every single time I picked it up, I fell asleep after about five minutes of reading, no joke. I would NEVER recommend this book. In fact, avoid it at all cost. It's supposed to be a learning tool, and you're supposed to see the world differently thanks to this book, but the mere fact that a huge gorilla was used as the teacher, and he couldn't talk, he just like... mind-spoke with people, it's all just very stupid to me.
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