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Ishmael
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit | Daniel Quinn
MORE THAN ONE MILLION COPIES IN PRINTThe 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 to save. Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to come from within ourselves. Is it mans destiny to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny possible for himone more wonderful than he has ever imagined?From the Trade Paperback edition.
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christhelesbian
Mehso-so

very insightful. i read this in berlin and it did fit the vibe of spiritual artsy

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anushareflects
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Mehso-so

So, Ishmael has a very unique concept : a gorilla that takes on a pupil to educate him on how mankind and mishandling man‘s existence in the world has led to ecological destruction. But the entire book is a dialogue between the two and in parts very repetitive and patronising. I get that that was probably the point, but the format was not for me personally.

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sprainedbrain
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#ManicMonday #LetterI

📖 Ishmael (tagged), The Ice Queen (Hoffman)

🖊️ John Irving, Kazuo Ishiguro

🎥 Inglourious Basterds, Interview with the Vampire

📺 Iron Chef

🎤 Incubus, INXS

🎵 I Don‘t Love You (MCR), I Love You (Butch Walker), I Miss You (Blink-182), I Remember You (Skid Row), I Want You (Kings of Leon), I Write Sins (PATD), Icky Thump (White Stripes), Imagine (John Lennon), In Bloom (Nirvana), Iris (Goo Goo Dolls), It‘s You (Zayn)

sprainedbrain Narrowing down songs that start with I was nearly impossible. 🤯 2y
persephone1408 @sprainedbrain some very good ones! 2y
Chrissyreadit I love both those books ❤️ 2y
CBee Bringing it allll the way, babes - love it 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 2y
48 likes5 comments
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perfectsinner
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110 pages in.... thought provoking to say the least
I feel out of my depth here

tokorowilliamwallace I've read something by this author a while back, maybe Adam....? 3y
perfectsinner Nice! 3y
5 likes2 comments
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perfectsinner
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Any thoughts on this? It's been in my tbr stacks for quite a while.. I'm less than 20 pages in

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Burpito
Mehso-so

Anarcho primitivism intro book with a funny monke and can help teach a few things I suppose

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LisaLovesToRead
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Pickpick

This is a book to get you thinking. I enjoyed it.

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sprainedbrain
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#TarotTakeover

My book for the Hermit has to be Ishmael... I read this book in my early 20s when I was on my own journey for personal discovery and making changes in my mindset and worldview. It has very much stuck with me!

SamAnne Ah, it had quite an impact on me as well at one point. I passed my on to another young person! 4y
KatieDid927 I love this book! I read it in my early 20s as well. I‘m due for a reread. 4y
Meaw_catlady I have no clue how I have never heard of this book!? Ahh I need to check it out! 4y
Erinsuereads 👏👏👏👏👏 such a perfect choice! Ray I can't believe you haven't seen it. It's a classic! @Meaw_catlady 4y
73 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Exbrarian
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#7books7days Day 2. Books that changed me or left an impression.

SamAnne Oh my goodness yes. I had forgotten about this one. 5y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
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sprainedbrain
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#7days7books: 7 books that have left a deep impression or changed me

Day 4: Ishmael, for opening my mind and heart. Ostensibly, this is a novel. For me, it was a little bit more than that.

Do you want to join in, @JaclynW and @TK421 ?

TK421 I'll have to do some thinking about this. Hmmm.... 5y
Soubhiville I loved this, The Story of B, and My Ishmael, and they all impacted me too. 5y
JaclynW Yes! Thanks for thinking of me! This looks like fun. I will have to start thinking hard.🤔 5y
78 likes2 stack adds3 comments
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BreakingRad1977
Pickpick

Wow! Really makes you think about Humanity and Nature and the roles they play with and against each other. Along with questioning many other aspects of knowledge and mythology. A must read for everyone.

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Andno.86
Pickpick

.

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Rissa1
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Panpan

Finished the book in the car today. I understand that this book is discussing some large, societal issues, but I still just feel unmoved by it.

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Rissa1
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🧡💫💥

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mmallek
Panpan

This is one of the worst books that I have ever read. It starts out bad and it never improves. It is a stream of tired stereotypes from the white male perspective and self important. It basks in its self-importance and cleverness despite being factually wrong about many of the points needed for the arguments to even make sense. It is hard for me to imagine anyone other than the most sheltered highschooler finding this book profound.

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SunriseBooks

I thoroughly enjoyed Ishmael. I can‘t say it was as revelational as I‘ve heard, but I think it certainly would have been if I‘d read it 25 years ago. It made me think hard about things I “know,” but managed to be an enjoyable read nonetheless.

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sprainedbrain
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A couple of books that changed me:

The Hobbit was the first book I read as a kid that totally blew me away—I was a voracious reader from then on.

I don‘t even remember how Ishmael found me, but I read it in my late 20s and it opened my eyes, my heart, and my mind.

#holidaygratitudechallenge

Owlizabeth I had to read Ishmael for a class when I was 18 and it was so wonderful, I‘ve returned to it over and over and find something new each time. ❤️ 6y
sprainedbrain @Owlizabeth That‘s wonderful! I wish I‘d had a class that required it. 😃 6y
Erinsuereads Don‘t you love that moment when a book challenges you to read more than just the words as text? 6y
LauraBeth I still vividly remember reading The Hobbit in fifth grade. I carried that yellow paperback with me everywhere! (edited) 6y
128 likes9 stack adds4 comments
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MirrorMask
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sprainedbrain Gosh I love this book. ❤️ 6y
70 likes2 stack adds1 comment
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BookNerd9906
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QuoteQueen No joke. I sometimes check who else has posted about some of my favorite reads on Litsy in search of new friends. 😊 7y
JoScho ❤️❤️❤️ 7y
BookNerd9906 @QuoteQueen me too! When someone posts about a favorite book I‘ll go check out their “read” list to see what else we have in common. Lol. New book friends are the best. ❤️ 7y
Alfoster Duh!!😂😂👏 7y
34 likes1 stack add4 comments
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YouReadMyEyes
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Pickpick

“You are captives of a civilizational system that more or less compels you to go on destroying the world in order to live.”

Wow. This book is thought provoking.

It‘s been over fifteen years since I read this book. Too long! It is relevant and it makes you dig in and think. Will be re-reading this one.

#ishmael #earth #humanity #leavers #takers #civilization #global #fiction #contemporarylit

Addison_Reads This has always been one of my favorites. You've inspired me to re-read it soon. 😁 7y
YouReadMyEyes @Addison_Reads Awesome 👍🏼 7y
Knightingale This was likely the seminal book of my teenage years. 7y
90 likes5 stack adds3 comments
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Meghan1
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Not only did I win a copy of The Crown and get to spend my ebook credit, I also made a trip to the Goodwill outlet and got all these lovelies for $4!

Suet624 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼 7y
PurpleyPumpkin Well done!👍🏽 7y
Nebklvr Julie Garwood 💞💞 7y
minkyb Sweet! 7y
62 likes1 stack add4 comments
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sprainedbrain
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#AprilBookShowers #EarthToneCovers

In addition to the cover's earthy colors, this book deals with humankind and our experiences and effect on our one and only Earth. ?

One of my favorite quotes from this book: "I have amazing news for you. Man is not alone on this planet. He is part of a community, upon which he depends absolutely.”

Johanna414 This book made a huge impact on me when I read it in high school. Maybe it's time to revisit 8y
Soubhiville I loved this book! 8y
100 likes6 stack adds2 comments
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Soubhiville
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I loved these books by Daniel Quinn. They resonated with me deeply when I first read them close to 20 years ago. Who says evolution ends now? Or with humans at all?
#takemetochurch, Mr Quinn! #lyricalapril

Cinfhen Hmmmmm🤔interesting! 😍 8y
49 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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digsgoodbooks
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This book always speaks to me.
Do you remember to notice those things around you?

BookishMarginalia Welcome to Litsy! 8y
digsgoodbooks Thank you! 8y
3 likes2 comments
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Supbooks
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"Obviously Mother Culture must be finished off if you're going to survive, and that's something the people of your culture can do. She has no existence outside your minds. Once you stop listening to her, she ceases to exist." (Pg. 144)

#litsyreadingchallenge #readharder2017 #readingchallenge #philosophy #ecology #environmentalism #socraticdialogue #2017 #alternativelifestyle

4 likes2 stack adds
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Erik_The_Read
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Pickpick

The world would be a vastly improved place if more people read and shared this Daniel Quinn novel. Inspiring, motivating and thought provoking.

10 likes3 stack adds
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sprainedbrain
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Day 3 of #photoadaynov16

It seems like people generally love or hate this book, probably depending on personal philosophy. For me, it was a powerful, #inspiring read that I have never forgotten.

Kirstin It's been over 20 years since I read this but I remember thinking it was a really beautiful book. 8y
Owlizabeth One of the few books I've reread multiple times!! 8y
Shaaaannnn I had to read this book for a philosophy class I took. I loved it. 💕 8y
Yournewfriendsams A classic! 8y
98 likes7 stack adds4 comments
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girlworded
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"Justice demands that people other than white males have power in the prison."

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girlworded
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girlworded
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"We're not destroying the world because we're clumsy. We're destroying the world because we are, in a very literal and deliberate way, at war with it."

3 likes1 stack add
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girlworded
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girlworded

Getting there - page 118

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annamae
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Ferry reading ⛴