The old Yahi World and the new world of the white man as seen by Ishi, last survivor of his people.
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Apr 05, 2011
P.J.
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Countless native Americans were hounded to death by settlers from back east, in the name of “Manifest Destiny.” This is the story of one who survived—barely. Ishi’s people were all dead, mostly from genocide, when he stumbled into the white man’s world in 1911, fearful and half dead from hunger and exhaustion. He knew no English, only Stone Age survival skills. He was enough of a novelty to find help and acceptance, becoming a kind of resident freak in an anthropology museum in San Francisco. "
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Oct 23, 2010
Beth
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Prior to the coming of Europeans, California was populated by slightly over a quarter of a million Native Americans. They belonged to 21 different nations and spoke over 100 distinct languages, no two languages any more similar than French and German. The Spanish began the decimation in the 18th century, bringing disease and Catholicism to the valley and coastal tribes. The American settlers finished the hill tribes off in an even more brutal way, hunting Indians down and taking scalps (somet
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Oct 10, 2010
Joanmom
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A fascinating book, not only the subject - a "wild indian" and insight into the history of his people and that way of life - but the author's writing style draws us into her way of thinking - she's a psychologist - and gives us more insight into why Ishi might have done things and how he might have thought about the difference between his old wild world and the new civilized world he joined in his mid-50s for a few years. I was drawn to read this book for several reasons, including th
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Dec 31, 2011
Amy
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Ishi, the last "wild" Yahi Indian, stumbles into the modern world of post-Gold-Rush California after 12 years of hiding with the remnant of his people. He fully expects to be killed, but he is desperate and tired of running ... alone. Luckily, he's adopted by 2 men who are interested in linguistics, native Americans, and who work for a university museum. Ishi goes to live in the museum and stays there for about 5 years before he dies of tuberculosis.
I found the narrative t More...
I found the narrative t More...
Apr 21, 2008
Paige
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Although after some discussion with a friend, I am finally able to see how this book perpetuates racism. The book unfortunately supports the idea that native cultures and therefore (conveniently for the powers that be) native rights should be contained far away from contemporary concerns in a regrettable past, creating a reservation in time as well as space. It is a sentimental portrayal of a person at a juncture in history when a candid portrayal is saturated with unfortunate Eurocentric bias
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Jun 30, 2010
Lela
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Ishi, which means man, died in 1916 without ever telling anyone his real name. In 1911 he stumbled out of the wilderness of northern California, sick and malnourished. He ended up spending his last years living in a museum at the University of California as a sort of living exhibit. This book tells the story of his life from his point of view. It is mostly how he and his tribe lived and his life after going to the museum to live. He tells how things changed as the white men came to the area &
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Jun 30, 2010
stephanie
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another one of the fourth grade books that kind of changed my experience as a reader (all my teachers throughout my school career - with the exception of the bastard that taught first year english - had us reading things that were really quite complicated for our age level).
in california, fourth graders at most schools do california history. at a catholic school, that means mission projects, but for everyone, i think, it means studying the indians.
so for our unit, we go More...
in california, fourth graders at most schools do california history. at a catholic school, that means mission projects, but for everyone, i think, it means studying the indians.
so for our unit, we go More...
Dec 09, 2009
Derek
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Ishi was the last of the Yahi tribe, after everyone else was killed via white man genocide. Ishi shows up one day at a ranch and eventually is taken in to San Francisco where is culture is studied, he learns English and even gets job in the city. Wow, sounds amazing, but this book is so dry none of the emotional impact this story might offer comes across. There is very little discussion/description of Ishi's culture as well, which is too bad.
Apr 24, 2011
Branimir
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I have read this book 3 years ago but I still remember the story as it is a really compelling one. I found the ethnographic element inside really valuable, yet what I did not like was the narrative. It was somehow deprived of involvement of the author, which some may appreciate but not me. I understand that this is kind of a biography book, but I do prefer some more in-depth analyzing instead of just posting some facts.
Jan 09, 2010
Sandy
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I read this book back in HS around the time I was studying American Indian history and religions. Like the 'Yamamoto' tribe in Brazil, its an anthropological study of an indigenous people.. in this case, the sole remaining individual from a descimated tribe of American Indians.... Poignant, fascinating and sadly noted by scientists and others alike far too late to change the destiny of this unique people. Bad us! Bad Bad us!
Dec 26, 2010
LonewolfMX
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This book is a testament to Ishi the Last of the Yahi. The first part of the book covered the history of the Yana tribe in which the Yahi were a sub-tribe of that group in Northern California near present day Oroville and Chico. The Yahi led a harsh life of survival and subsistence for thousands+ of years until the arrival of the Europeans beginning the Spaniards and Mexicans, but their rule would be brief and would be supplanted by the Anglos in which they conducted a brutal genocidal war again
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Jan 13, 2012
J M
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From an anthropological view this is an important document of a culture which would have otherwise been known only through artifacts and for me personally this idea changed the way that I look at artifacts in a museum or read about indigenous cultures in a book.
As an American this book touched me because it is quintessentially about us as a country and our story. Ishi represents that change of culture we all made but even more so because he never changed place only cultures. The "ol More...
As an American this book touched me because it is quintessentially about us as a country and our story. Ishi represents that change of culture we all made but even more so because he never changed place only cultures. The "ol More...
Nov 11, 2011
"One of the most moving, tragic and ultimately triumphant human stories I have ever read....If you read no other book this year, you must read this one. " - Los Angeles Times
Listen to Ishi in Two Worlds on your smartphone.
Listen to Ishi in Two Worlds on your smartphone.
Apr 26, 2008
Mark
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In 1911, the last of the Yana Indians in Northern California stumbled out of the wilderness into Oroville, CA. Although his life had been inextricably altered by living in proximity to civilization, Ishi was truly living a traditional hunter-gatherer life during the early 1900s. A fascinating and heartbreaking tale of massive misunderstanding of cultures as well as one man’s ability to survive and adapt to more change than one might think the human psyche could possibly endure. Having in his
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Jun 30, 2010
Erik
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Spending every childhood summer at Dad's mother's place in Lake Charter Township, Michigan, led to the reading of many books left there by her or by the stream of family friends who would visit. There was no telephone, no phonograph, no tape machine, no television. Reading, conversation, card playing and radio were the only sources of amusement inside the house. Consequently, I read a lot and until I started earning money to buy my own books, I read on a catch as catch can basis.
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Nov 01, 2010
Dalton
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Overall, I enjoyed Ishi in Two Worlds. In the very beginning it is a interesting book that had trouble putting down, but as the book progressed it became less of a storyline and more facts about Ishi (the main character). It discusses the judgement of hunters who would walk by and if they spotted a Native american they would just shoot it. Ishi then became the last of his tribe because everybody else had been murdered. I am not usually intrigued by biographies, but I enjoyed Ishi in Two Worlds b
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May 02, 2009
Elizabeth
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I knew next to nothing about California Indians when I picked this up, so it was a pretty fantastic introduction. The narrative tends to reveal Kroeber's own cultural bias, but the story of Ishi is beautifully written.
Mar 04, 2008
Matthew
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
To view it, click here
Aug 14, 2011
Jessica
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This is truly a must-read TRUE story about an Indian's grace, intelligence and wisdom. Moving beyond belief and written with the most heart-breaking compassion. Loved, loved this true story.
Jan 04, 2011
Pat
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Kroeber, who by the way, is Ursula K. LeGuin's mother wrote the book of her life here. Despite many forgivable flaws, it's one every Californian should read.
Mar 31, 2010
Moira
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I love this book. An important part of California's human history, kindly told by the wife of the academic who befriended and helped Ishi.
Jan 11, 2010
Kathy
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Read this book years ago when my son was studying Indians in his social studies class. I thought it was fascinating, but really sad.
Jan 07, 2011
Agustin
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Very informative and makes you wonder just how diferent people were treated then and still are treated today. Sometimes confusing
Dec 01, 2009
Brenna
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I read this book 3 times and each time I gained a new perspective on culture, both western and indigenous.
Mar 17, 2011
benebean
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It's not that there's anything wrong with it... but I was expecting the whole book to be a biography of Ishi. The first half is just background history of native Americans in the California area.
