Ishmael

By Daniel Quinn,

Book cover of Ishmael

Book description

One of the most beloved and bestselling novels of spiritual adventure ever published, Ishmael has earned a passionate following. This special twenty-fifth anniversary edition features a new foreword and afterword by the author.

“A thoughtful, fearlessly low-key novel about the role of our species on the planet . . .…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

6 authors picked Ishmael as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is a very original book with deep wisdom delivered through a most unique relationship about a man and the Gorilla who becomes his Guru!

One of the most life-changing concepts I took from the book is that there are two kinds of people in the world: leavers and takers. I recognized that I am essentially a taker, but the book made me realize that to be a better person it was time for me to become a leaver.

"Man lived harmlessly on this planet for some three million years but the Takers have brought the whole thing to the point of collapse in only five hundred generations."

This award-winning book Ishmael is a thought-provoking book, with particularly interesting quotes about tribalism and the Chaldeans from ancient Mesopotamia, my ancestry. There are two characters; the teacher Ishmael (a telepathic Gorilla), and a nameless student who is seeking to save the world. Ishmael classifies humanity into two groups, the “Leavers” and “Takers.”

The first are hunter-gatherers and the latter are civilized agriculturists. Even if the reader doesn’t agree with some…

From Weam's list on spiritual ancient teachings.

As a child of the 80s, when Earth Day became a thing, a book set in the future that questioned human supremacy seemed a sure bet for a good time. Picking up this novel by Quinn when it was released a couple of years after I graduated high school was enough to shake the foundations of my personal system of beliefs and fire my imagination for what might be possible if only humans learned. The book itself is written as a conversation between the main character and the student he advertises for in the newspaper. The subject matter of their…

If you love Ishmael...

Ad

Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: “Are his love songs closer to heaven than dying?” Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard it…

Ishmael is one of the most unique novels I have read. Years after reading it, I still think about it. I’m sure it is one reason I am concerned about the impact of our choices on the people who come after us. Hard to imagine that a book about a gorilla who teaches a human using the Socratic Method could have such an impact on me. But it did. The gorilla wants to help humans understand why things are the way they are. (This is something I want to understand too.) All of this sounds philosophical, and it is. At…

This book taught me how to look at the world I lived in and the history I come from in a different way. After reading this book I questioned everything I was doing as a teacher and began to see my role as a teacher, as a father, as a citizen concerned about my ecological impact in a different way. And it’s written as an immensely compelling and engaging conversation between a man and a gorilla. I mean, what more could you want?

Another of my favorite novels, Ishamel starts off with a simple ad. Teacher seeks pupil. Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person. From there, the reader is taken on one of the great spiritual adventures in modern literature. I can’t say enough positive things about Ismael. Everything about it––the writing, the story, the ideas––works.

If you love Ishmael...

Ad

Book cover of The Ballad of Falling Rock

The Ballad of Falling Rock by Jordan Dotson,

Truth told, folks still ask if Saul Crabtree sold his soul for the perfect voice. If he sold it to angels or devils. A Bristol newspaper once asked: “Are his love songs closer to heaven than dying?” Others wonder how he wrote a song so sad, everyone who heard it…

Want books like Ishmael?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Ishmael.

Browse books like Ishmael

Book cover of The Moviegoer
Book cover of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants
Book cover of The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,893

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 If you like Ishmael, you might also like...

Book cover of Resting Places

Resting Places by Michael C. White,

Resting Places follows one woman’s journey after the devastating news of her son’s death. Elizabeth ekes out a lonely and strained relationship with her husband while trying to lose her grief in alcohol. A chance meeting with a man on the side of the road spurs her to travel cross-country…

Book cover of The Gates of Polished Horn

The Gates of Polished Horn by Mark A. Rayner,

What happens when you’re face-to-face with a truth that shakes you? Do you accept it, or pretend it was never there?

Award-winning author Mark A. Rayner smudges the lines between realist and fabulist, literary and speculative in this collection of stories that examines this question—what Homer called passing through The…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in gorillas, Mesopotamia, and hunter gatherers?

Gorillas 13 books
Mesopotamia 25 books
Hunter Gatherers 30 books