<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<GoodreadsResponse>
	<Request>
		<authentication>false</authentication>
		    <method><![CDATA[]]></method>
	</Request>
	
<book>
  <id>17021</id>
  <title><![CDATA[Ishmael]]></title>
  <isbn><![CDATA[0553078755]]></isbn>
  <isbn13><![CDATA[9780553078756]]></isbn13>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649457m/17021.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649457s/17021.jpg</small_image_url>
  <description><![CDATA[Winner of the 1992 Turner Tomorrow Fellowship, <em>Ishmael</em> is a unique and captivating novel that has earned a large and passionate following among readers and critics worldwide. One of the most beloved and bestselling novels of spiritual adventure ever published, it is the story of a man who embarks on a highly provocative intellectual adventure with a gorilla--a journey of the mind and spirit that changes forever the way he sees the world and humankind's place in it. For this special fifth anniversary edition, the author has written a frank and informative introduction in which he discusses the worldwide <em>Ishmael</em> phenomenon. Timed to coincide with the eagerly anticipated publication of <em>My Ishmael</em> and the release of the movie <em>Ishmael,</em> this special edition is sure to attract new readers and reinforce Daniel Quinn's reputation as one of the most compelling and visionary writers of our age.]]></description>
  <work>
  <best_book_id type="integer">227265</best_book_id>
  <books_count type="integer">16</books_count>
  <desc_user_id type="integer" nil="true"></desc_user_id>
  <id type="integer">1041162</id>
  <media_type nil="true"></media_type>
  <original_language_id type="integer" nil="true"></original_language_id>
  <original_publication_day type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_day>
  <original_publication_month type="integer" nil="true"></original_publication_month>
  <original_publication_year type="integer">1992</original_publication_year>
  <original_title>Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit</original_title>
  <rating_dist>total:12354|5:4529|4:3946|3:2392|2:963|1:523|</rating_dist>
  <ratings_count type="integer">12354</ratings_count>
  <ratings_sum type="integer">48057</ratings_sum>
  <reviews_count type="integer">15323</reviews_count>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1566</text_reviews_count>
</work>

  <average_rating><![CDATA[3.89]]></average_rating>
  <ratings_count><![CDATA[390]]></ratings_count>
  <text_reviews_count><![CDATA[45]]></text_reviews_count>
  
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17021.Ishmael]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17021.Ishmael]]></link>
  <authors>
    <author>
    <id>10330</id>
        <name><![CDATA[Daniel Quinn]]></name>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1209401415p5/10330.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1209401415p2/10330.jpg]]></small_image_url>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/10330.Daniel_Quinn]]></link>
    <average_rating>3.88</average_rating>
    <ratings_count>18594</ratings_count>
    <text_reviews_count>2110</text_reviews_count>
  </author>
  </authors>
    <reviews start="1" end="20" total="15307">
      <review>
  <id>18013158</id>
    <user>
    <id>617170</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Sherri]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Fresno, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/617170-sherri-scoffield]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1242577975p3/617170.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1242577975p2/617170.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.90</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>11871</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>12</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Mar 26 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Tue Mar 18 09:24:54 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Mar 26 20:46:26 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book gets many 5-star reviews and is touted as “life changing”.<br/>My comment:  “GET A LIFE!!!”  This could possibly be THE WORST book I have ever read.  I have been reading this book forever! I am so glad I am finished! <br/>It’s 200+ pages of torture! (This size of book I would n...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18013158">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18013158]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18013158]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18486903</id>
    <user>
    <id>1017317</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Anna]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Oakland, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1017317-anna]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1206323950p3/1017317.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1206323950p2/1017317.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>15</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="thought" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Mar 23 23:46:08 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Sep 05 17:12:05 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[My biggest problem with primitivism as a philosophy is its inherent hypocrisy. Notice how it's always highly educated white dudes insulated from the world who clamor for a return to some idealized &quot;simpler&quot; life? In the case of this book, it's a distinguished professor haughtily preaching ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18486903">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18486903]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18486903]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1096111</id>
    <user>
    <id>79443</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Scott]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Madison, WI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/79443-scott-frankowski]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-M-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">17021</id>
  <isbn>0553078755</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553078756</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">45</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649457m/17021.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649457s/17021.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17021.Ishmael</link>
  <average_rating>3.73</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>390</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Winner of the 1992 Turner Tomorrow Fellowship, <em>Ishmael</em> is a unique and captivating novel that has earned a large and passionate following among readers and critics worldwide. One of the most beloved and bestselling novels of spiritual adventure ever published, it is the story of a man who embarks on a highly provocative intellectual adventure with a gorilla--a journey of the mind and spirit that changes forever the way he sees the world and humankind's place in it. For this special fifth anniversary edition, the author has written a frank and informative introduction in which he discusses the worldwide <em>Ishmael</em> phenomenon. Timed to coincide with the eagerly anticipated publication of <em>My Ishmael</em> and the release of the movie <em>Ishmael,</em> this special edition is sure to attract new readers and reinforce Daniel Quinn's reputation as one of the most compelling and visionary writers of our age.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>7</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[no one]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Tue May 08 01:30:01 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 19:05:48 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I was looking for something to read one day and ended up picking up Ishmael.  I was incredibly annoyed by the dialouge and slow pace of the book.  And I found myself disagreeing quite often with the philosophy of the book, and even being annoyed by Quinn's style so much that when I did agree I would...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1096111">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1096111]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1096111]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>18915514</id>
    <user>
    <id>1015536</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Cody]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Iowa City, IA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1015536-cody-g]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1206234489p3/1015536.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1206234489p2/1015536.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>9</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Fri May 16 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Mar 29 08:35:36 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri May 16 07:52:10 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I've read about 20 reviews of <em>Ishmael</em>, and of those no one mentioned how <em>extremely</em> sexist this book is.  It isn't just in the language (constantly referring to humans as <em>man</em> or <em>mankind</em>), but it's also actively present in the dialog.  For example, this is a direct quote from a character answering why...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18915514">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18915514]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/18915514]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>44218736</id>
    <user>
    <id>180908</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Tatiana]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/180908-tatiana]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1184048097p3/180908.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1184048097p2/180908.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>7</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fantasy" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[nobody]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Mon Jan 26 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jan 24 16:46:39 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 26 20:16:41 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count>less than 1</read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[I haven't finished this book yet but I probably won't because it sucks.  First of all, it's supposed to be a novel but it's entirely didactic.  The author has simply substituted this gorilla to preach at us in the author's voice.  The viewpoint character is simple minded and vacuous to the point of ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44218736">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44218736]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44218736]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>27595859</id>
    <user>
    <id>567709</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Palsay]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Indonesia]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/567709-palsay]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1259569051p3/567709.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1259569051p2/567709.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">3531737</id>
  <isbn nil="true"></isbn>
  <isbn13 nil="true"></isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">5</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: Sebuah Novel Pencerahan]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1214287750m/3531737.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1214287750s/3531737.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3531737.Ishmael_Sebuah_Novel_Pencerahan</link>
  <average_rating>3.88</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>8</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Seorang lelaki tanpa nama terhenyak membaca iklan pendek yang terpampang di sebuah koran. Iklan itu mengusiknya, mengingatkannya akan hasrat masa mudanya. Ia penasaran, dan mendatangi alamat yang tertera dalam iklan. Namun sesampai di sana ia sangat terkejut, karena menemukan sosok yang tidak pernah dibayangkannya. Sosok yang kelak akan akan mengubahnya, sosok yang menyeretnya ke dalam petualangan gagasan dan spiritual yang mengguncangkan. Sosok yang mengubah pandangannya tentang hidup, manusia dan alam semesta.<br/><br/>Memenangi penghargaan Turner Tomorrow Award karena dianggap menyumbang perbaikan peradaban manusia, novel ini menunjukkan bahwa ada yang salah dengan cara hidup kita. Lewat dialog Sokratiknya, novel ini mengajak pembaca untuk merefleksikan cara hidup kita selama ini, kebudayaan kita, peradaban kita.<br/><br/>Di Eropa-Amerika, novel ini berhasil mengubah jalan hidup jutaan pembacanya. Tak kurang Paulo Coelho pun menjadikannya sebagai salah satu acuan dalam sebuah novelnya, The Zahir. Di dunia, novel ini telah berhasil mempertemukan orang-orang yang punya concern terhadap perbaikan dunia.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>6</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="light-philosophy" />
        <shelf name="phenomenal" />
        <shelf name="translated-fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[everyone]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Hilman]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Fri Jul 18 01:44:06 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Fri Jul 18 03:32:56 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Aku masih memandangi buku yang baru saja selesai kubaca, tiba-tiba gambar disampulnya yang tadinya tidak kuperhatikan kini menjadi begitu berarti. <br/><br/>Sejak halaman terakhir kukatupkan, aku merasa letupan-letupan yang ada dalam benakku mulai lepas kontrol. Mereka sudah menjadi ledakan yang t...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27595859">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27595859]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/27595859]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>239961</id>
    <user>
    <id>23260</id>
    <name><![CDATA[kevin]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Pompano Beach, FL]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/23260-kevin]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1174941464p3/23260.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1174941464p2/23260.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>5</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Mar 12 10:08:32 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 16:33:05 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[The reason I like Quinn’s style in “Ishmael” is that he doesn’t assume a pedantic perch atop humanity and force-feed a philosophically-driven, A-Z laundry list of “how to make yourself a better human being” and “save the world one person at a time” mantra down the reader’s throat. ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/239961">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/239961]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/239961]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2556350</id>
    <user>
    <id>134476</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lobeck]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Portland, OR]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/134476-lobeck]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1241668193p3/134476.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1241668193p2/134476.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>5</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="least-favorite-of-all-time" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[people who don't know anything and are willing to be treated like idiots]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 1997</read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Jun 30 00:01:48 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 23:11:22 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[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 clic...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2556350">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2556350]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2556350]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2948783</id>
    <user>
    <id>176051</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Pericles']]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Auburn Hills, MI]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/176051-pericles]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1216916644p3/176051.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1216916644p2/176051.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jul 11 12:40:00 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Dec 17 00:16:54 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[At its core, <em>Ishmael</em> is a narrative about a grand narrative.  It aims high, and its failure to achieve what it sets out to do is ultimately more interesting than its stated premise.  <br/><br/><em>Ishmael</em>, however, is conscious of this failing--indicated by Quinn's allusion to Plato's cave.  But unlik...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2948783">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2948783]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2948783]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>12482989</id>
    <user>
    <id>754065</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Regis]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Seattle, WA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/754065-regis]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1229481325p3/754065.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1229481325p2/754065.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>9</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 14 09:38:13 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 14 10:06:50 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Are you over forty years old but have somehow slid through life without forming a single firm philosophical principle?  Have you missed your chance to take a stand – any stand at all?  Do you have a vague dislike of society - a nascent antiestablishmentarianism that you've never given voice to - b...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12482989">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12482989]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/12482989]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>15937397</id>
    <user>
    <id>926069</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Marty]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Cambridge, MA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/926069-marty]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1203531125p3/926069.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1203531125p2/926069.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>4</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[intellectuals that are looking for an ass-kicking]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Feb 20 16:35:11 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Tue Apr 08 21:55:32 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[At a Borders parking lot back home, it was spray-painted into the pavement &quot;READ ISHMAEL&quot;<br/>That's basically how I first heard about it and read it. Especially since I parked over the spray-painted message time and time again.<br/>Would people really read this book if it was called &quot;...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15937397">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15937397]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/15937397]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>7249466</id>
    <user>
    <id>386842</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jesse]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Brooklyn, NY]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/386842-jesse]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1190045749p3/386842.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1190045749p2/386842.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>7</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[All]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2003</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Oct 04 06:15:51 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Oct 04 06:51:02 -0700 2007</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[A little story about Ishmael by Daniel Quinn:<br/><br/>I first read this back in the fall of '99 for a college course.  It was a time in my life where (for a variety of reasons, including a breakup of a long relationship) I was first began to think for myself, instead of think what others wanted m...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7249466">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7249466]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7249466]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>20380331</id>
    <user>
    <id>231071</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lori]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[San Francisco, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/231071-lori]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1185917758p3/231071.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1185917758p2/231071.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>3</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[all of mankind]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Joe Cannon]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sun Apr 13 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Apr 17 09:10:05 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Apr 17 09:50:58 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book was recommended to me from my Ecology teacher on Saturday. I bought it the same day because i really needed a decent read... i having been craving all the time lately. <br/>I did not put it down until i was done with it two days later. <br/>The premise is a man talking to a gorilla... ho...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20380331">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20380331]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/20380331]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>2456927</id>
    <user>
    <id>151055</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Max]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Houston, TX]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/151055-max-ostrovsky]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182971578p3/151055.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1182971578p2/151055.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">17021</id>
  <isbn>0553078755</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553078756</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">45</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649457m/17021.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1223649457s/17021.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17021.Ishmael</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[Winner of the 1992 Turner Tomorrow Fellowship, <em>Ishmael</em> is a unique and captivating novel that has earned a large and passionate following among readers and critics worldwide. One of the most beloved and bestselling novels of spiritual adventure ever published, it is the story of a man who embarks on a highly provocative intellectual adventure with a gorilla--a journey of the mind and spirit that changes forever the way he sees the world and humankind's place in it. For this special fifth anniversary edition, the author has written a frank and informative introduction in which he discusses the worldwide <em>Ishmael</em> phenomenon. Timed to coincide with the eagerly anticipated publication of <em>My Ishmael</em> and the release of the movie <em>Ishmael,</em> this special edition is sure to attract new readers and reinforce Daniel Quinn's reputation as one of the most compelling and visionary writers of our age.]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="contemporary" />
        <shelf name="fiction" />
        <shelf name="philosophy" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Thu Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2005</read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Jun 27 14:16:09 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 22:54:43 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Although, purposefully didactic, it was beautiful. It read incredibly fast, but it sits with you for a very long time. Imagine eating something quick and cheap like a taco bell burrito only to discover that once it reached your stomach, it felt like a 7 course meal at a 5 star restaurant. Definitely...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2456927">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2456927]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2456927]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>44785829</id>
    <user>
    <id>513614</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Kathryn]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Washington, DC]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/513614-kathryn]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at>Sat Feb 28 00:00:00 -0800 2009</read_at>
  <date_added>Thu Jan 29 14:33:55 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Thu Mar 05 08:05:00 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Don't read this book. It was miserable. ]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44785829]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/44785829]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>32276416</id>
    <user>
    <id>1504787</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Aaron]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Great Falls, VA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1504787-aaron]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1220826809p3/1504787.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1220826809p2/1504787.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>2</rating>
  <votes>2</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sun Sep 07 15:34:44 -0700 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Sep 08 15:58:51 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[This book was worth reading but many parts bothered me.  First Ishmael makes incorrect statements about how nature works, and asserts that humans have violated these rules, which is the source of our discontents.  E.g. Ishmael states that other species do not attack competitors.  This is false.  Spe...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32276416">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32276416]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/32276416]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>13856015</id>
    <user>
    <id>290688</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Lilith]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[London, The United Kingdom]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/290688-lilith]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-111x148.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto-F-50x66.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[Everyone and their brother.]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[Eve Benjelloun]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Mon Jan 28 14:03:30 -0800 2008</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 28 14:03:30 -0800 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[My cousin introduced me to Daniel Quinn while I was visiting her in September, and though I was only getting summaries via print-outs of his various lectures, I fell in love with his ideas. The narrative tale of Ishmael - a telepathic teacher/student relationship between a gorilla and disillusioned ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13856015">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13856015]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/13856015]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>9255446</id>
    <user>
    <id>619557</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Marty]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Benicia, CA]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/619557-marty]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1195111337p3/619557.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1195111337p2/619557.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>3</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
          </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[patient, thoughtful readers]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat Nov 17 20:28:39 -0800 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Apr 16 08:52:54 -0700 2008</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Daniel Quinn's books offer two things: 1.) a challenge to read 2.) the reward of better understanding how the planet's connundrums (war, hunger, overpopulation) are &quot;facts&quot; of life.<br/><br/>Actually three things: 3.) all this sage wisdom comes from a talking Gorilla.  No shit...<br/><br/>...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9255446">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9255446]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/9255446]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>46821211</id>
    <user>
    <id>1571381</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Jensownzoo]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[The United States]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/1571381-jensownzoo]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1256839468p3/1571381.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1256839468p2/1571381.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>5</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="fiction" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Wed Feb 18 19:41:44 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Feb 18 19:49:00 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Well, this is a sociology/ecology lecture loosely disguised as a novel that makes you sit back and say &quot;why didn't I think of that, it's so <em>obvious</em> to me now!&quot;  And it's done in a way that continually builds on the presented ideas so that you understand the concepts from the ground up.  Lo...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46821211">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46821211]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/46821211]]></link>
</review>
      <review>
  <id>1454402</id>
    <user>
    <id>84023</id>
    <name><![CDATA[Keely]]></name>
    <location><![CDATA[Belleville, NJ]]></location>
    <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/84023-keely]]></link>
    <image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239050169p3/84023.jpg]]></image_url>
    <small_image_url><![CDATA[http://photo.goodreads.com/users/1239050169p2/84023.jpg]]></small_image_url>
  </user>
    <book>
  <id type="integer">227265</id>
  <isbn>0553375407</isbn>
  <isbn13>9780553375404</isbn13>
  <text_reviews_count type="integer">1506</text_reviews_count>
  <title>
    <![CDATA[Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit]]>
  </title>
  <image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476m/227265.jpg</image_url>
  <small_image_url>http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1172875476s/227265.jpg</small_image_url>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/227265.Ishmael_An_Adventure_of_the_Mind_and_Spirit</link>
  <average_rating>3.89</average_rating>
  <ratings_count>12354</ratings_count>
  <description>
    <![CDATA[The narrator of this extraordinary tale is a man  in search for truth. He answers an ad in a local  newspaper from a teacher looking for serious  pupils, only to find himself alone in an abandoned  office with a full-grown gorilla who is nibbling  delicately on a slender branch. &quot;You are the  teacher?&quot; he asks incredulously. &quot;I am  the teacher,&quot; the gorilla replies. Ishmael is  a creature of immense wisdom and he has a story  to tell, one that no other human being has ever  heard. It is a story that extends backward and  forward over the lifespan of the earth from the birth  of time to a future there is still time save.  Like all great teachers, Ishmael refuses to make the  lesson easy; he demands the final illumination to  come from within ourselves. Is it man's destiny  to rule the world? Or is it a higher destiny  possible for him-- one more wonderful than he has ever  imagined?]]>
  </description>
  <published>1992</published>
</book>

    <rating>1</rating>
  <votes>1</votes>
  <spoiler_flag>false</spoiler_flag>
  <shelves>
        <shelf name="read" />
            <shelf name="contemporary-fiction" />
        <shelf name="novel" />
        <shelf name="reviewed" />
      </shelves>
  <recommended_for><![CDATA[]]></recommended_for>
  <recommended_by><![CDATA[]]></recommended_by>
  <read_at></read_at>
  <date_added>Sat May 26 00:04:55 -0700 2007</date_added>
  <date_updated>Wed Dec 16 20:07:59 -0800 2009</date_updated>
  <read_count></read_count>
    <body><![CDATA[Are you the sort of person who hears other people discussing books and finding yourself wondering how they can even form opinions on stories? I mean, either you like it or you don't, right? Well, if that's you, then read this book, The Giver, and Siddhartha (if that sounds like too much, substitute ...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1454402">more...</a>]]></body>
    
  <url><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1454402]]></url>
  <link><![CDATA[http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1454402]]></link>
</review>
    </reviews>
  <popular_shelves>
          <shelf name="to-read" />
          <shelf name="fiction" />
          <shelf name="currently-reading" />
          <shelf name="philosophy" />
          <shelf name="favorites" />
          <shelf name="spirituality" />
          <shelf name="novels" />
          <shelf name="literature" />
          <shelf name="spiritual" />
      </popular_shelves>
  <book_links>
    <book_link>
  <id>8</id>
  <name><![CDATA[WorldCat]]></name>
  <link>http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=17021</link>
</book_link>
  </book_links>
</book>
</GoodreadsResponse>