Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit by Daniel Quinn
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Summary
TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person. It was just a three-line ad in the personals section, but it launched the adventure of a lifetime. So begins Ishmael, an utterly unique and captivating novel that has earned a large and passionate following among readers and critics alike—one of the most beloved and bestselling novels of spiritual adventure ever published. In Ishmael, the recipient of the Turner Tomorrow Fellowship for the best work of fiction offering positive solutions to global problems, Daniel Quinn parses humanity's origins and its relationship with nature, in search of an answer to this challenging question: How can we save the world from ourselves? Praise for Ishmael “As suspenseful, inventive, and socially urgent as any fiction or nonfiction you are likely to read this or any other year.”—The Austin Chronicle “Before we're halfway through this slim book . . . we're in [Daniel Quinn's] grip, we want Ishmael to teach us how to save the planet from ourselves. We want to change our lives.”—The Washington Post “Arthur Koestler, in an essay in which he wondered whether mankind would go the way of the dinosaur, formulated what he called the dinosaur's prayer: ‘Lord, a little more time!' Ishmael does its bit to answer that prayer and may just possibly have bought us all a little more time.”—Los Angeles Times From the Trade Paperback edition.
This book just didn't do it for me in terms of entertainment value. The themes felt juvenile and overdone, especially with all the anti-technology talk. Personally, I'm all for advancements in medicine and technology that enhance our lives, making them safer and longer. It's hard to imagine going back to a time when humans had a maximum lifespan of 35 years.
I didn't find this audiobook engaging or educational. It didn't quite fit into either the fiction or non-fiction category. It felt like a blend of both, but not in a good way. The storyline revolves around a Gorilla who gains psychic abilities and uses them to inform a man about how humanity's failure to live in harmony with nature is problematic. That's pretty much the entire plot summed up. So, save yourself the trouble and don't waste your time and money on this, as I unfortunately did.
While there were a few solid philosophical ideas, the narration of the audiobook was done well, with the added music being a nice touch. However, I found the overall book to be underwhelming. It was dominated by Daniel Quinn's own philosophy and personal agenda, which could be frustrating to navigate through. Unless you're willing to sift through the author's philosophical jargon and determine what holds value and what doesn't, investing three hours in this audiobook would be a complete waste. I received a strong recommendation from a student to read it, but now I regret both their suggestion and my decision to give it a chance.
The inclusion of mythical stories that distort biblical narratives raised concerns for me, particularly for those who don't have a deep understanding of the Bible. The way these stories were rewritten, taken out of context, and essentially disrespected was deeply troubling.
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