Rating: 
Summary: Loved it!
Review: Those who are interested in reading this book, but need to look through the online reviews should STOP right here! Don't let anybody influence your opinion. Go ahead. Read the book.The book is not offending in any way. Its content may introduce some ideas that are challenging to one's faith/belief, yet it is undeniably a classic. A brilliant masterpiece. An intelligent author with thought-provoking ideas. If you are a believer in God, who may be offended by this book, then here's a practical advice on how to read and enjoy the book at the same time: Consider your faith (whatever it may be) a constant, while viewing wisdom (knowledge) and science as variables. This way, you will enjoy this book to a great extent, and most importantly, will not be offended by it! I truly love this book, and I think Daniel Quinn is one of the most intelligent and influential writers.
Rating:
Summary: Simply earth-shaking.
Review: Ishmael is a straightforward, highly rational handbook for the people out there ready to admit there's something wrong with the human race's direction. I first had to read this book for a 4 week educational trip to Italy, where I studied Classical Civilizations. I didn't know what this book had to do with my course until I realized our teacher was simply trying to open our minds. No other book has quite opened my mind as widely as Ishmael has. Daniel Quinn has crafted a story... or even a novel-long lecture, for those of us who thirst for knowledge, or at least a place to start off from. I now currently study Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Toronto, and the University of Glasgow. The most baffling parts of prehistory and civilization as a whole are so much clearer after reading (over and over for pleasure) Quinn's theories on civilization, and what we call culture. It is hard to sort out our own biases of today when you cannot even recognize them. I simply cannot recommend this review highly enough. I've passed it onto all of my friends, and I hope it will convince you to do the same.
Rating:
Summary: Hits you over the head
Review: A couple of the reviews I just read on this page complain that Quinn is stating the obvious with "Ishmael". Well, it's true. That's why everyone should read it. Often people need to be hit over the head with things they already KNOW but yet don't NOTICE. This is the only way they'll pay attention. If you had absorbed even some of the content of the book, you'd know that this is actually one of the main points. And for those who said that the gorilla made the story unbelievable--of COURSE. do you think Quinn actually wanted you to think that a gorilla would rent an office in which he would telecommunicate with humans? Of course not. Quinn was trying to get your attention. Would he have gotten your attention more quickly had he made Ishmael human? No. This is a great book. I have done lots of reading in my lifetime, and I recommend it to everyone I know, because I wish everyone in the world would read it--or at least a couple people with political and social clout. Yes, Quinn says what a lot of us already know. Quinn presents things in such a way that they CANNOT be shrugged aside, and so that everyone can understand them. That is what makes it so great. Also, not EVERYONE knows these things! If someone reads this book who has not heard Quinn's concepts before, it will have a big impact on them. Even for those of us who are familiar with all of this, it is wonderful to have it presented in a new light. Quinn pulls such a wide background into the book that almost everyone could be struck by something directly pertaining to them. For example, my extended family is comprised of quite a few agriculturalists, and I am an Anthropology student. The book really hit home with me, and with everyone I've talked to about it. And by the way, Quinn knows his stuff. Everything he says is anthropologically sound. For those of you who, like the disgruntled reviewers metioned above, have been raised by pop culture and don't have the attention span for anything less than an action novel, AND for those of you who want to read another great Quinn book with a different twist on the same material presented in Ishmael, try Quinn's "The Story of B". And for God's sake pass the book along to someone else when you're done. More people need to read it.
Rating: 
Summary: Food for thought...
Review: This book formulates a sound argument that describes the development, problems, and strengths of the dominant culture that is exploiting our earth to the point of potential catastrophe. While the book keeps the reader entertained and emphasizes the nature of the problems that our culture must face (or perish) its only attempt at a solution to this problem is to promte the awareness of our circumstances. The argument builds a solid foundation on how our culture has wounded the earth but makes very little effort to suggest a remedy. The metaphorical equivalent to the argument presented is --- you are bleeding and here is why --- you can only heal yourself by recognizing that you are bleeding. Quinn presented such a compelling and strong argument for his premise but fails to offer an equal effort regarding a potential solution to the cultural dilemma he describes so well. This is a must read --- but don't be looking for answers --- Quinn just presents the problem well and not the solution.
Rating:
Summary: Yep, Quinn's right
Review: I liked this book. I don't care if the philosophy lesson is veiled in an unlikely combination. The message is clear and I enjoyed hearing it, and learning from it. Good stuff.
Rating:
Summary: ishmael
Review: this is an incredible novel, it helped me to comfirm, make sense of and put into words many of the thoughts i had been developing about our culture. i read reviews that knock the book saying that the authors don't want to follow quinn's ideas of returning to hunting and gathering, and being quite straightforward in saying that anybody that wants to is stupid, in adressing this i'd like to say that i've never heard Quinn refer toanything of this matter, he has suggested living tribally, but never has he associated tribalism with hunting and gathering, many tribes of today depend primarily on agriculture, im sorry that the authors of these reviews can not see these obvious points that i a mere 14 year old can. forgive my pooor grammar and sentence structure, bu im far too lazy to take my time on such things.
Rating:
Summary: Ishmael
Review: Daniel Quinn gives an extraordinary new view to ideas that everyone at one time or another have pondered. He brings to life ideals that most people have difficulty digested. He brings these views and ideals into reality in such a way as to captivate his readers and keep them searching for more. The most interesting part is that of the teacher: a gorilla named Ishmael.
Upon reading "Ishmael" for the first time I found that the ability to digest the material worked greatly to my understanding and there were no words or ideas that were brought forth by Ishmael that were hard to follow or understand.
Rating:
Summary: Provocative
Review: Quinn does a good job raising some interesting questions through the voices of a pupil and a teacher. The teacher happens to be a gorilla, but no matter.
The revolution of the agrarian society vs. the hunter-gatherer society is examined. The bias against the agrarian society is hard to miss, however, the hunter-gatherer society has left us few books, and few technological advances beyond knives, spears and axes, so what is the point? That we should go back to the hunter-gatherer society that our society evolved from? One of the thoughts I really appreciated was the feeling that current society or Mother Culture seems to tell us to "take our place" or we won't be fed. Ideas of over-population of the planet and misuse of resources are also examined. Although I don't agree with many of the ideas in this book, I found it to be thought provoking and worth the money.
Rating:
Summary: Mind Stimulation
Review: Want a good book to read? Want a book that will stimulate you mind? Well I got the perfect book for you. The book is called "Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. Would I personally recommend this book? Yes, I would. I will tell you right off Daniel Quinn did an excellent job with Ishmael. Quinn's creativety is just amazing. Quinn keeps Ishmael so interesting that you can't put the book down until you've read every single page.
The book is about how man and world came to be. The ironic thing is Ishmael is a talking gorilla. Ishmael/Quinn tries to broaden the narrator's beliefs, and not to the point of changing your beliefs, but to give the narrator and you a different perspective on life. Quinn presented Ishmael with great charisma and knowledge of life. Quinn also did a terrific job supporting his reasonings with examples from the bible. He didn't only use examples from the bible, but Quinn also used life as examples.
If nothing else take a chance and open up your mind a little to something new. You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: Before you flip past this review, give me a chance.
Review: Before ever reading Quinn's work, I had already heard much gushing about it. Being the uber-liberal that I am, it seemed likely that this book would fit me like a handtailored suit. But this is not the case. The thing is, Quinn makes a lot of interesting points and often times in very novel ways. But even as such there is a degree of ease and glossiness to his opinions that the issues he covers do not deserve. Analogy is the main method of myopia here (mine of course, is aliteration) and this maybe a primary selling point, and failing, of the book. It is important to note that analogy is an extremely good way of getting ones point across, but not as good away of shedding optimum light on complicated subjects. With Quinn, some pretty complex stuff gets boiled down to some pretty simple (yet beautiful) stories. And this is where Quinn loses me. I think he is on the right track more often then not here, but sometimes he can't see the forst for the trees. This is ironic because this a very large point made in the book. I suggest reading Ishmael, but remember that a good reader should act as a filter, not a sponge.
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