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Lobeck's Reviews > Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit
Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit (Ishmael, #1)
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i could crap a better book than this. it's condescending and trying to be profound but very simplistic. if you've already been introduced to basic ideas about we're ruining the earth and need to get our act together, you'll learn nothing new here. and the whole wise teacher/pupil thing is so cliche. so what if he's a gorilla?
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Ishmael.
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Reading Progress
Started Reading
January 1, 1997
–
Finished Reading
June 30, 2007
– Shelved
June 30, 2007
– Shelved as:
least-favorite-of-all-time
Comments Showing 1-7 of 7 (7 new)
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Noemi
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Jun 11, 2011 12:13PM
The reason why he's a gorilla is for perspective's sake for the book. We can tell eah other we suck but there's something new and different when someone that is not of our human species (someone from an outer perspective) is explaining this to us.
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I understand why you may have this opinion, but it is meant to be accessible for people who aren't use to thinking about the effect of capitalism, agriculture society, and industrialization on society. I.e. Nice intro for freshman...
I agree with the impracticality of the premise of the romanticism on practices of old; however, I didn't take this as the premise of the book (at least in its entirety). The book explores various areas of the modern society and its own very apparent hypocrisy, such as our "battle" against world hunger and poverty, which it draws very logical distinctions to its folly when we contend with the population increases that agricultural advances are a strong factor to this result. It doesn't claim to pose a solution per say, but draws attention to. It seems in this case you would be better to be less of a critic and allow more food for though
The problem I have with Ishmael being a gorilla is that he's not. The words may have been stated by a gorilla in the book, but Ishmael was just a thin veil for the author to preach his own ideas. It's still a human writing the words, so the ideas are not any more special because it's not. a gorilla. speaking. It's just Daniel Quinn, who somehow thinks his ideas are more profound than any other person's, writing as a gorilla so people will pay attention and think it's a "new unique perspective" because it's from a gorilla. It's not from a gorilla. It's from a guy named Daniel Quinn.
Yes, a lot of what the "gorilla" says about nature is factually wrong. For example, humans are NOT the only creatures to put food behind lock and key or fence things in. Essentially this is what bees do with honey in their hive, or ants do when ranching aphids, or wolves do when fighting other packs for territory.
"the whole wise teacher/pupil thing is so cliche." - really? The teacher/pupil relationship no longer holds interest for you? The point of the book is to open your mind. Clearly your mind is welded shut.
Agree with this review. The sense of superiority displayed by the author is just repulsive
