An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth
by Mahatma Gandhi
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Read in January, 2008
I was expecting to be totally wowed by this. I mean it’s Gandhi after all but it just didn’t quite do it for me. I’m not sure if it was my lack of knowledge about a lot of the people he was talking about, or the history at that time (truth be told I thought Gandhi was born a whole lot latter than he really was, his birth was in 1869), or the use of Sanskrit and other Indian-language terms that I couldn’t look up since I read the book on the beach in Jamaica and Internet cost $7.50 fo...more
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recommends it for:
patient readers
Mohandas Ghandi, the Mahatma, did not set out to become a legend, or a hero. He just wanted to practice law to earn a living. He went to South Africa, counter to his caste's norms, to pursue a job. In South Africa, where he had a job opportunity, he discovered that the ruling class considered him a "coolie barrister" and not worthy of sharing a sidewalk with whites. At one point he was ordered by a judge to remove his turban because hats were not to be worn in the court room. He argued...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in March, 2008
In Gandhi’s Autobiography (which was hand written by someone else, but told supposedly word-for-word by Gandhi.) the book starts off with Gandhi as a child and his recollections. From here to his teenage years its pretty exciting and an overall page turner. I don’t want to give away anything, but his childhood was pretty weird in comparison to the American lifestyle.
Anyway I found that the chapters later on that involved his life in England overall drab and boring. Gandhi seemed to recall...more
Anyway I found that the chapters later on that involved his life in England overall drab and boring. Gandhi seemed to recall...more
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Read in January, 2000
recommends it for:
Yes
I think it's important for every Indian to read about Gandhi and his autobiography gives a lot of insight into his thinking and his life. The first few chapters are particularly interesting because we learn so much about his personal life.
After that, the book tends to lose the reader and is harder to digest. More or less a diary type account of all the events that took place in the Mahatma's life, as opposed to a critical analysis of situations. On many occassions Gandhi simply states tha...more
After that, the book tends to lose the reader and is harder to digest. More or less a diary type account of all the events that took place in the Mahatma's life, as opposed to a critical analysis of situations. On many occassions Gandhi simply states tha...more
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This was a fascinating read. Gandhi's writing is oddly simple, even almast naive in places. He faithfully records small personal struggles, giving them the same wieght as major political battles. Gandhi's zeal and idealism comes across powerfully, as does his lifelong concern with self-discipline and purity (bramacharya).
I was especially interested in his evolving understanding of satyagraha and his increasingly strict vegetarianism. His ascetism increased in direct propo...more
I was especially interested in his evolving understanding of satyagraha and his increasingly strict vegetarianism. His ascetism increased in direct propo...more
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recommends it for:
apathetic people
I should probably wait till I actually finished the book to write a review. But I feel like writting now because I've got something to say now. I tentaivley picked up this book and that is how I am making my way through the pages. I've only just begun, Gandhi is about thirteen. But I find myself angry at him. I can't get through a page without watching his struggle with a thought, idea or truth. His life, from the very early stages, reveals his struggle towards ahimsa,non-violence, and brahmac...more
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Read in November, 2006
recommends it for:
sridhar
This is a book I found from my room mate sidhar and i was very interested to read the life history of such a noble person. The man has given numerous example of different kind of personalities, and the circumastance he faced in different countries, and he has made some suggestions to the Indian people are very interesting.. it's very interest to know about his education life at london. How he hesitate to drink and do other things.
it's a book for those who want to have good qualities...more
it's a book for those who want to have good qualities...more
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i've read this two or three times. gandhi fascinates me, he's such a complex figure in history. he used religious dialogue in political discourse in a way that united and divided people, brought some back into the mainstream but also drove others out. he's a heroic figure to me, but also a complicated one- i can't help but wonder if, had the secularists (like nehru) had a greater share of the podium, whether communal violence could have been reduced. nonetheless, he is an example of the use of r...more
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Read in January, 2002
What I learned: You have to be a very disciplined and slightly neurotic person to achieve major social change. Ghandi made a lot of personal sacrafices. But perhaps even more importantly, he was a person that really made serious changes to himself and to his and his family's lifestyle as he became more educated about the world around him. Something that should be more commonplace it seems. That said, the book was filled with an awful lot of mundane details about what Ghandi ate from day to day e...more
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I was always an admirer of Gandhi, but when I began to study him in college, the attraction wore off. Though I am of course still in awe of his accomplishments and character, there is a tone of contrived, sanctimonious simplicity that runs through his life and work. This book captures that tone. The title itself, with the phrase "experiments with truth," irritates me. It's worth reading to learn more about his life, and moreso to read the words of a man who has been made a saint by...more
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Read in July, 2005
Gandhi's autobiography was a life-changing read for me. There are few people who are such sincere seekers of truth, so, to have his personal writings that tell "The Story of [his] Experiments With Truth" is a real treasure. I do wish that I had known before I read it that as long as it was it never actually gets to his work in freeing India from Great Britain, in fact he even says something like "enough has been recorded about my work in India". So I recommend following the b...more
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Read in August, 1993
You should know Gandhi. Why? When you go to foreign country as an Indian, one say to you, oh you are Indian? I know Gandhi and cow is sacred in India.
Well, Gandhi has lot of critics in India. He is hated and loved by all the communities.
Every human being do error. I have read this book and Gandhi was very honest with whatever he has written. An indepth truth, one who sacrificed luxury for the freedom and his life on the name of violence. A good hindu, a staunch vegetarian, a visionary ...more
Well, Gandhi has lot of critics in India. He is hated and loved by all the communities.
Every human being do error. I have read this book and Gandhi was very honest with whatever he has written. An indepth truth, one who sacrificed luxury for the freedom and his life on the name of violence. A good hindu, a staunch vegetarian, a visionary ...more
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"Todo derecho que no lleva consigo un deber, no merece que se luche para defenderlo."
Mantén tus pensamientos positivos porque tus pensamientos se convierten en tus palabras.
Mantén tus palabras positivas porque tus palabras se convierten en tus acciones.
Mantén tus acciones positivas porque tus acciones se convierten en tus hábitos.
Mantén tus hábitos positivos porque tus hábitos se convierten en tus valores.
Mantén tus valores positivos porque tus valores se convierten...more
Mantén tus pensamientos positivos porque tus pensamientos se convierten en tus palabras.
Mantén tus palabras positivas porque tus palabras se convierten en tus acciones.
Mantén tus acciones positivas porque tus acciones se convierten en tus hábitos.
Mantén tus hábitos positivos porque tus hábitos se convierten en tus valores.
Mantén tus valores positivos porque tus valores se convierten...more
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Read in November, 2004
What has always struck about Gandhi is his humanity: his refusal to view his life as anything other than an experiment with the truth, a life of mistakes and faults to be corrected, all in the service of others. Make no mistake -- Gandhi was no other-worldly saint, but a real man of flesh and blood who struggled with his temper and who toppled the British Raj with nothing more than satyagraha.
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Read in April, 2008
Gandhi's experiments with truth in his autobiography titled 'Experiments with truth.' Written in prison, Gandhi reflects on his trials in life thus far, differentiating between truth and Truth while also making a stance for Ahimsa, Brahmacharya, and of course, Satyagraha. Really injects the wonderfully redundant idea that truth, at best, is only partial. A highly selective and easily readable book where chapters are in the form of parables. Very fascinating. 3.5 stars.
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Read in January, 1967
Great book...read a long time ago...need to re-read. Ghandhi sought reform and to some extent he succeeded in his efforts to free India from the British rule and most important, his influence with his non-violent protest movement and principles on leaders such as Martin Luther King, Jr. But the struggle continues and perhaps will always continue, but looking back at his influence, hopefully there will always be leaders who seek truth and who struggle for freedom.
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Read in December, 2007
I think most people have this image of what Gandhi's contribution to the India to the world is, including myself, however as you read the book there is more to his story that you find difficult to swallow or accept. The sacrifices and decisions he made along the way put in context the type of man he was, and it's probably someone you could not imagine. In a good way...great way. There are many smaller lessons from his life that we all can benefit from.
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After viewing the move by the same name I originally tried to read this book years ago but couldn't 'get into it'. Picked it up again two years ago and re-read only to discover that it made me dislike Gandhi much more than I would have expected. Yes, he did great things and the genius of this book is that is shows the complexities of the human nature even of one who is lead to greatness...including the less than appealing aspects of their personality.
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Read in January, 2003
menurut gw, tulisan gandhi yang paling berkesan adalah; " untuk menemukan kebenaran manusia harus mempu lebih ringan dari debu, yang bahkan hembusan anginpun dapat memukul-mukulnya" satu lagi; "masih menjadi sebuah misteri bagiku, mengapa seseorang dapat merasa lebih superior dengan cara merendahkan orang lain" walaupun kata2 Gandhi bagus tapi gw belum ngerasa spiritnya...gw masih liat dia terlalu pakai pikiran dalam menulis belum pakai hati.
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A life-changer. For those who desire change, both within and without. Humility, earnestness in learning, experimentation upon the Word. Can I get an amen? A few part are logistical and slow, but they usually have a purpose in adding to a larger lesson learned. I did not feel condescended to, but shared with. This human being is one of my heroes. It is because of him that I may not assault the jerk who stole this book from me.
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book data (includes all editions)
avg rating (all editions): 4.07 (496 ratings) avg rating (this edition): 3.00 (1 ratings) number of reviews: 78popular shelves
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"The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. "
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