Rating: 
Summary: Noble savages,Golden ages and other eternities
Review: Of all the enduring and perhaps necessary myths of the human race only the idea of The End Of The World is stronger than the idea of the happy,noble primitive living at one with nature.Quinn takes the stance that all social commentators through the ages have taken who wish to see the world in the harshest possible light:Everything about current civilization is bad,broken,miserable,decadent and irredeemable.Of course the solution to the enormous problems elaborated upon by most social commentators of Quinn's type is almost always comically oversimplified,vague and naive.Mr. Quinn's grand plan goes something like this:We must revert back to a more hunter gatherer type society but keep some of our better modern amenities like medicines etc.The vagueness and muddle-headedness and lack of answers concerning how land would be managed and conserved by tribes of hunter-gatherers is unforgivable considering that some of the most ecologically wretched places in the world today got that way because of lack of land management,restriction of use and lacking the largesse of capitalistic societies that have the luxury of worrying and taking care of the land and its resources.More backward,unregulated societies, where land is often held in 'commons',that is,first come first use policy that has wrecked so much environmental damage in
poor countries don't have the luxury of worrying about environmental damage because not starving takes obvious priority
over topsoil erosion,water pollution,destroying the habitat of the native species etc. The book is valuable in that it asks us to assume that not all is rosy and that the current way of doing some things may not be the best way.But it certainly belongs squarely in the tradition of civilizational discontent that seems to be inherent in human nature.It is a balm to the wounded,disappointed and run ragged soul to imagine a better world and a better time,and this is why religion and the idea of happy primitives will continue on in the human psyche until the last man remains on Earth.As written in Ecclesiastes and echoed by countless writers and preachers since:'There is nothing new under the sun'.
Rating:
Summary: What?
Review: Quinn's book was great until the last portion. He carefully crafted an opposing analysis of what civilization does for homo sapiens, presented his argument effectiviely, and then ended the book with a joke. And the punchline wasn't even funny. Although thought provoking, the book is a waste of time. There is nothing good in here that was not in Ishmael.
Rating: 
Summary: Going Beyond Civilization
Review: "Beyond Civilization" follows in the footsteps and elaborates on the themes of Daniel Quinn's Ishmael Trilogy ("Ishmael," "The Story of B," and "My Ishmael"), which should be read before this companion volume is tackled. Unlike these three books, "Beyond Civilization" is non-fiction, a collection of short essays in which Quinn clarifies some of the ideas from the Ishmael Trilogy and responds to questions posed by readers and critics. A bibliography and thematic index for all four books are also extremely helpful resources for Quinn readers. The essays that make up this book deal with varied topics - from school shootings to what it means to "save the world." However, they are all connected in their criticisms of 'civilized' society and support for a "new tribalism." The concept of the New Tribal Revolution occupies a large part of "Beyond Civilization," and it is a complex topic to try to summarize. Basically, new tribalism calls for the immediate creation of a non-ethnic tribal society in which the ravages of civilization - both ecological and social - can be minimized. It should be emphasized that Quinn is NOT a primitivist or Luddite, as some claim. He calls not for the destruction of knowledge and technology, but rather urges people to use them in a different and (in his view) better fashion. New Tribalism is not a return to the past - it is an effort to go beyond civilization and 'save the world' from environmental disaster and social self-destruction. Many reviewers have criticized Quinn's somewhat vague instructions regarding what they should do to go beyond civilization. The lack of a clear program did not bother me too much - for one thing, it will help prevent dogmatism in any movement seeking to go beyond civilization. Readers, in my opinion, should not expect any new culture to spring fully-formed from Quinn's pen. Life and society beyond civilization will evolve into forms that work well; it will not be arbitrarily created. "Beyond Civilization" is structured as a collection of straightforward essays written in the first person and addressed directly to the reader. All of the essays are less than one page long and they can be read all at once, or slowly and reflectively over a number of days. Was the book written in a condescending fashion, as some reviewers have complained? I personally don't think so - Quinn does his best to be engaging and argumentative, which may not go across well with some readers. Agree with Quinn or not, you will find "Beyond Civilization" captivating and perhaps even inspirational. You will return to it time and again, drawn by its analysis of civilization, tribalism, and humanity itself. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Keep an eye on us, because we will save the world
Review: Reading the Ishmael trilogy (Ishmael, The Story of B, My Ishmael) is a life-changing experience in that it brings to light so many self-destructive aspects of our culture, but it leaves the reader hungering for an obscure, unnameable something. Beyond Civilization sates that hunger. Ishmael and successors laid out the ideas, and Beyond Civilization provides ideas of what to do with it. In a very real sense, it is a blueprint for saving the world (something now very high on my "to do" list.) It's also a quick, easily digestible read consisting of a series of brief, one-page essays. Simply put, Beyond Civilization is a quick, easy read that will continue what Ishmael started: that is, change your life drastically and beyond retrieval. I recommend it heartily.
Rating:
Summary: Last chance for a dying planet
Review: Quinn challenges us to confront our assumptions of the pervailing worldview and offers us a possible way out of our global problematique. As always his ideas are revolutionary, provacative, and give us hope that humanity can make it through the coming challenges.
Rating: 
Summary: Pessimist about our future
Review: Sophisticated hierarchical political systems allow the exchange products and services in very complex and efficient ways. Population growth in the civilized world is reasonable. Some European countries now are having negative population growth. Italy is one example. But tribal systems in underdeveloped countries continue to experience population explosions. And civilized countries continue to provide them with food and with growing crop yields due to technology. So what does Daniel Quinn propose we do about the population explosion under tribal systems? Rather than introducing them to modern culture under which they will naturally reproduce with less frequency, he seriously proposes that we discard civilization in favor of our tribal past. He calls this progress...going "beyond civilization." His system would work, of course. Without the efficiencies of civilization and technology the world's population would be limited by the subsequent mass starvation. It is the age-old battle of the pessimists versus the optimists. It is not clear why we would dump civilization except that we are pessimistic about the future. Technology has always solved the problems created by technology in the past, but somehow our pessimism doesn't allow us to believe that the future will turn out as well as the past. Thomas Malthus predicted we would run out of food and although he died in 1834 and his idea has never borne fruit, people cling to his pessimism. Perhaps some of us just prefer to see darkness and death in spite of all the beauty around us.
So take your choice. Be pessimistic about where civilization is taking us and go back to tribalism or join the optimists who see a bright future. Optimistic scientists are working on generating hydrogen powered fuel cell cars that will eliminate the over-production of carbon dioxide. Many pessimistic Luddites would rather give up on technology and eliminate cars all together. There will always be optimists who are improving things and pessimists who are trying to convince us that the future is full of disaster. Take your choice.
If you like disaster predictions, and want to feel like you are saving the world by "dropping out" like the 1960s hippies did, then this is the book for you.
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Summary: This book - and Ishmael - will change the world.
Review: I never used to be *that* concerned about the condition of the Earth and our civilization; I knew we had some great problems, but I figured they would be solved sooner or later and that humanity was in no real threat of going extinct. My God, what a naive view that was. Reading the Ishmael trilogy and Beyond Civilization has totally changed me. I used to be more or less apathetic about these issues, but after reading these books, I absolutely couldn't stay that way. We are in real trouble if we continue this way of life, and nothing less than a world with changed minds will save us. Everyone has to read Quinn's books, including this one. I'm not exaggerating when I say that. We all have to change our vision from the current one, or we'll end up stabbing ourselves to death (that's what we're doing now). Quinn makes these important facts very clear in this book, and his reasoning is so sound. These ideas were totally unknown to me before reading Ishmael. Now I can't believe how I got along without them. I know so many people who feel the same way after reading Quinn's books. They say their lives are changed. Some of these people were the most apathetic I knew towards environmental issues. It's *amazing* what effect these books have on people. I've never experienced anything like it. More than anything, this book is a tremendous inspiration, especially to those who have read Ishmael (they can appreciate the ideas more - so you read Ishmael too! :). It's straightforward, clear, and incredibly powerful. Please read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Hope
Review: It is a wonderfully written book. Literary genius of Quinns book is only outdown by its content. Meaningful,hopeful & brilliant!!! Vive Daniel
Rating:
Summary: An exceptional read
Review: An excellent companion to the Quinn Trilogy. A must read - even if you can recite the Quinn's Trilogy backwards.
Rating:
Summary: Change Explained
Review: For anyone who has an earnest desire to know how to save the world. If you have read any of Daniel Quinn's Ishmael series and felt a little left hanging, then this book is for you. Even if you haven't read any of the Ishmael series but are still interested in getting your mind blown... READ THIS BOOK!
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