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Fun Stuff => ENJOY => Topic started by: ruyi on 29 Jun 2006, 01:29

Title: ishmael
Post by: ruyi on 29 Jun 2006, 01:29

(by david quinn)

oh man, i just started reading this book. my brain has pretty much exploded. this is really good! like crazy good! man, the way i see the world has been totally transformed...

...and that is kind of embarassing/corny to say but it is really true. i can't quite get over this book.

has anyone else read this? (oh man oh man i hope!)

Title: ishmael
Post by: Blue Kitty on 29 Jun 2006, 13:05

I have, it was a book that my Literature of the Non-Western World teacher had us read and discuss. I have to say I liked it and it really got me to thinking about the world and my view of it, which really does seem the intent

when you are done you should probably read his other books, Story of B and My Ishmael

Title: ishmael
Post by: ruyi on 01 Jul 2006, 00:52

cool. thanks! i was thinking about his other books but i was a little nervous 'cause i was afraid of being disappointed. do they talk about uh, similar things? like do they elaborate on the ideas in ishmael? or is it something different?

Title: ishmael
Post by: Blue Kitty on 01 Jul 2006, 11:24

the book My Ishmael has a little girl talking with ishmael while Story of B is completley seperate from the other two

Title: ishmael
Post by: DavidGrohl on 07 Jul 2006, 05:53

I read Ishmael and studied it in depth.  I disagree with part of the book that claims the human race looks to technology to save the planet, but the technology isn't enough and will never be enough.  Perhaps I'm in the category of people he's talking about, but I do believe that technology will progress to the point that pollution can be reduced to extremely little amounts.

  About his proposal that humans were the first 'animals' to become sentient, and that the other animals would follow suit  -- I'm still not sure what to make of that.  Under extremely certain conditions did primates evolve, and while given an 'infinite' time slot to do it in, anything is possible, I see this highly unlikely in the course of human existance without genetically altering the animals somehow.

Title: ishmael
Post by: corwinzor on 06 Aug 2006, 20:24

When I was in high school we actually had a class every year called "The Writings and Philosophies of Daniel Quinn" where we read Ishmael and the Story of B. Then again I went to an alternative high school. It was pretty awesome that I was among a bunch of kids who read that stuff and wrote essays about it--those books are amazing. You've just inspired me to go find my copy of Ishmael and re-read it.

Title: ishmael
Post by: happybirthdaygelatin on 08 Aug 2006, 03:08

I just read this several weeks ago!  It was a quick yet enjoyable read and I'm glad to hear that his other books are worth checking out.

Title: ishmael
Post by: onewheelwizzard on 09 Aug 2006, 13:57

I should look into this.  It sounds good.

As a side note, I've had the way I view the world utterly changed by quite a few books.  Tom Robbins does it well, as does Robert Anton Wilson, Miguel Ruiz, Terence McKenna, and Kahlil Gibran.