Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Rating:
Summary: Gull Gushing....
Review: Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a timeless tale about a seagull seeking perfection in flight, and, along the way, learns something about loving and transcendence.

Okay, that sounds weak the way I say it...

Really, it is a touching story about being the best you can be, while not letting others stop you in following your dreams. From Jonathan's beginnings of becoming an Outcast of gull society for the love of flying to his return to the Flock, the reader is swept away by the charming parable and empathizes with Jonathan's plight. You will gush over this book (as I probably am in this review).

Who should read this? A better question is "who shouldn't?" It's short enough to read to your children at night (it may take two or three nights), or for an adult to read in an afternoon. The powerful message to "be the best you can be and live true to your dreams" carries across generations and cultures and is always worth hearing.

Overall, this is an extremely uplifting, clever, and wonderful book. Just be warned: do not buy just one copy! This book is guaranteed to be one that you will want to share with your friends, family, and coworkers. I'd hate to see you to be without it while your book was on loan. You never know when you might want to "gush over a gull" yourself...

Rating:
Summary: Good read
Review: A nice pick-me-up, but not as fun to read as "Illusions." Though it is short, it slows a little toward the middle, and not as distinguishable from other books of a similar theme. Worth looking at, but for inspirational reading by Bach, I'd go for "Illusions."

Rating:
Summary: -
Review: A hearty and inspirational book. This strikes me as one of those books that parents should read to their children, like The Little Prince.

Rating:
Summary: Limitless and Timeless
Review: My dad read the story to me when I was just a little boy. I read it every now and again as an adult, and will read it to my children and grandchildren when they come. It is a wonderful heartwarming story, that will not take more than a couple hours of your time. If you have never read it, you must do so, then pass it on to a friend. It is a beautiful picture of life, and what you can accomplish when you dream.

Rating:
Summary: Seeking Perfection
Review: This slender classic about a seagull who stretches the limits of Flight reads as fresh and emotionally exhilarating as when it first appeared. Disdaining the mundane existence of most gulls--who follow the garbage trails of men--Jonathan dreams of rising above such a demeaning lifestyle, on both aerodynamic and spiritual planes. He boldly pushes his body to perform increasingly difficult stunts, to achieve undreamed of aerial precision and velocity. Until he is callously ostracized for his achievements.

We admire Jonathan's quest for excellence, his willingness to sacrifice everything in his noble pursuit of raising seagfull consciousness. To FLY for the sheer joy of it, to grow in wisdom, to chafe at any limitation of the spirit, to experience the ultimate in seagullness--to meet and perhaps briefly be one with the Great Gull.

Beneath the surface of this seemingly simple tale of a gull, who literally rises above his own kind, lie themes clearly reflecting the 60's: civil disobedience for a worthy cause, social ostracism, the personal dignity of the sentient individual, refusal to accept the standard restrictions of life as imposed by Society. Bach presents philosophical gymnastics worthy of a seagull's Shangri-La; he includes Christian overtones and ideas of global spirituality as well.

JLS proves a teacher of teachers both in Flight and Compasion, but could he really be the only son of the Great Gull? (The movie with Neil Diamond's moving score is a multi-dimensional treat, but read the book first.) Timeless enchantment!

Rating:
Summary: 5 Stars is a hard limit to put on a limitless story!
Review: This book is possibly my all-time favorite. It combines two subjects which I absolutely love! Seagulls and the search for enlightenment. I recommend this book to anyone who can read, and to those who don't posess that gift, I recommend either buying the Tapes, or getting somebody else to read it to you. I am planning on purchasing a large number of these books as gifts for both friends and strangers as soon as I get some extra cash. Read it! If you don't quite understand its meaning, put it away for a while, then read it again. May we all become enlightened like Jonathon Livingston Seagull.

Rating:
Summary: Believe... and anything is possible.
Review: If there is anything that this book teaches, it is that we have the ability to change reality with the power of our own thoughts. This is one of those books that no matter how many times I read it, will never fail to amaze me. It's the kind of book that leaves you speechless, unable to do anything but think, and wonder.

Presented in the form of a charming parable about a seagull's education in flight, Jonathan Livingston Seagull is about far more than the life of one seagull. It is about each and every one of us, struggling to find the answers, to reach something higher that we are not even yet aware of. We are all a little bit like Jonathan, and when we read Bach's story, we realize that we all have the same power inside. That we can do anything, be anything that we want, if only we can believe in ourselves. Bach's message is a powerful and timeless one that stretches across all barriers to reveal the simple truth that we all, at one time or another in our lives, knew: the most powerful force that exists is that of belief, especially in ourselves.

I can't tell you exactly why you need to read this book. It's not about something as simple as plot or writing style. There is a rare magic in the words that cannot be conveyed by any other means than the experience of reading the book. All I can say is that once you read this book, you will understand.

Rating:
Summary: I'm a gull-watcher...
Review: I've read that this book, (Bach's Jonathan Livingston Seagull) was rejected by over 50 publishing houses before it was accepted. (and subsequently became a best seller)

This was ground breaking stuff in 1970, but not so much now. However, I'd highly recommend this book as required reading for teens.

My oldest daughter read it, and went on and read several other books by Bach.

We are all spiritual beings - even seagulls! - and when we make material acquisitions (be it dead fish or large screen tv's) the end goal of our existence, we completely miss the mark and loose the message of our life's purpose.

It's a great book with a timeless message.

Rating:
Summary: It Could Change Your Life!
Review: The Sheer joy of flying up,up & up in life, the breaking of conventional rules, the sure shot life transformer all that is JONATHAN SEAGULL.

It transformed my life it'd do the same to you.

Rating:
Summary: Get the flock out of here
Review: For those who recognize "the flock" for what it is, and desire to break free of it or have broken free of it, this is a good story that you can relate to. "Those who dance are viewed as insane by those who can't hear the music."