Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself to Change the World in CSE 120 Reading the Biography 2024

May 13, 2024 Kimberly rated it really liked it

"Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself To Change The World" is a biography written about Mahatma Gandhi by Eknath Easwaran. The book give details of the life of a great man and how he transformed himself to change the world. It was very easy to read, only 175 pages in large words, large pictures, and plenty of awesome quotes, and yet it still did a good job at explaining who Gandhi was and why and how he changed the world in his simple ways.

The said man was very shy during his teenage days "Gandhi the Man: How One Man Changed Himself To Change The World" is a biography written about Mahatma Gandhi by Eknath Easwaran. The book give details of the life of a great man and how he transformed himself to change the world. It was very easy to read, only 175 pages in large words, large pictures, and plenty of awesome quotes, and yet it still did a good job at explaining who Gandhi was and why and how he changed the world in his simple ways.

The said man was very shy during his teenage days and was a below average student at school. He was a person you won’t look at twice when you cross paths on the street. His career as a lawyer was a failure. But one thing that is for sure is that he never gave up. His wake-up call came when he was in South Africa solving a case among two family members. He realized that winning a case against an opponent is not a win but living in peace with everyone is what matters. He lost his mother. His wife was a major source of inspiration to him. Living in South Africa at a time when Indians were mistreated and taken advantage of made him stand up for himself and his people. He encouraged them to stand up for themselves too and demand their rights through non-violence.

Gandhi was a very spiritual person who had lived his life according to the Bhagavad Gita. He uses the Bhagavad Gita as a guide to live and to solve problems with his enemy. Gandhi was shot by one of his enemies. He died but his teachings continued to spread throughout the world. Back in his hometown, although they were ruled by the British, he never really experienced the abuse of human rights because his family was always there to provide him with love and care whenever he needed it. But when he traveled to foreign country, it was the turning point of his life. Because his family was not there to comfort him, he was alone in a country he hardly knew and there were people who looked nothing like him. It helped to transform and turn his life around.

I can relate to Gandhi in the same way because as an only child who was living in the Caribbean with mom and dad. We had to leave our comfort home and move to a foreign country. Knowing nothing would happen next. And when you have to fit into an environment that you don't like that much, it's hard. Living in the States is helping to shape my life to not be dependent on others. I believe in myself that I can do anything and have a good mind set and encouragement.

The author does a good job of illustrating how Gandhi's background shaped who he became. It's because of him that people like Martin Luther King succeeded. As they say, he was the grandfather of non-violence. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn a little bit about Gandhi, his life and how he fights with non-violence for this country. ...more

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May 13, 2024 Tahia Arefin rated it really liked it

The book ‘Gandhi The Man” is an interesting and insightful book by Eknath Easwaran, he explores the life and teachings of Gandhi, the well known leader of the Indian freedom movement. From Gandhi’s initial years in India to his stay in South Africa and then his ultimately coming back to India to lead the nonviolent movement for independence, the author provides an in depth and personal look into Gandhi's life. Gandhi is presented by the author in an accurate and detailed way, highlighting his de ...more

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May 13, 2024 Keyshia Charles rated it really liked it

Are you craving a book that is filled with a perfect combination of genres such as philosophy, nonfiction, spirituality, and religion? If you are, then I suggest reading the biography of Gandhi The Man: How One Man Changed Himself To Change The World. When I first attempted to read the Biography of Gandhi the Man written by Eknath Easwaran I was a little bored but after reading the book, I grew to love the book. The perfect combination of philosophy, nonfiction, spirituality, and religion had me Are you craving a book that is filled with a perfect combination of genres such as philosophy, nonfiction, spirituality, and religion? If you are, then I suggest reading the biography of Gandhi The Man: How One Man Changed Himself To Change The World. When I first attempted to read the Biography of Gandhi the Man written by Eknath Easwaran I was a little bored but after reading the book, I grew to love the book. The perfect combination of philosophy, nonfiction, spirituality, and religion had me hooked. If you cannot tell by the title this book is about a man named Mahatma Gandhi and his journey about how he became the man he was and the effect he had on his followers.

This book gives a brief description about Gandhi’s childhood before transitioning to the young adult version of Gandhi. Gandhi had traveled to a foreign country, having known nothing about their culture, clothing, food or their ways of life. This book informs us of Gandhi’s struggle to “fit in” among the foreigners, it informs us about how prideful and persistent he was. While reading this book you’ll realize what change really means, you’ll find yourself asking deep questions about yourself and the world around you. Your mind will be open to the little things that you never noticed before, like what we eat and if we truly cared about others as much as we say we do. You will also find yourself reflecting on many areas of your life and asking questions such as “If that was me would I do the same” all from reading about a man’s life to ‘eternal peace’.

There was a quote from the book that constantly plays in my mind. During Gandhi’s journey he met someone who told him "you're not here to study, but to learn the way of life”. The reason that quote had such an impact on me is because I myself recently moved into a new country. I am experiencing what Gandhi experienced during his move. I knew nothing of their culture, but just like Gandhi I am experiencing my change. I have experienced new food, places and relationships, a new world.

I recommend this book if you are looking for a new perspective about the world and if you are looking within yourself to change, like Gandhi did.

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May 13, 2024 Ankita Ghosh rated it liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Book review of Gandhi the man

Gandhi the man is the biography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - An activist of Indian independence. The author of the book is Mr. Eknath Eshawaran. The plot is simple. Mr. Eknath discusses Gandhi's whole journey throughout his life.. We can see not only Gandhi’s political life, but also his personal life and his change of mentality throughout his life. However the book is slightly sensationalized and mostly talks about Book review of Gandhi the man

Gandhi the man is the biography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi - An activist of Indian independence. The author of the book is Mr. Eknath Eshawaran. The plot is simple. Mr. Eknath discusses Gandhi's whole journey throughout his life.. We can see not only Gandhi’s political life, but also his personal life and his change of mentality throughout his life. However the book is slightly sensationalized and mostly talks about the positive sides of Gandhi’s various decisions.

Gandhi the man has succeeded as a great story teller. The journey of Gandhi was so organized. The book contains 4 chapters. The first chapter holds up his constant endeavor towards non-violence. It shows the reasons and process of being self-obsessed to selfless The first chapter is capable of convincing the reader to be kind. It motivates and provokes the reader to think about others as well.

The book highlights his activities, his thoughts and his calmness. It also highlights the devotion, and Gandhi’s daily habits.

My favorite part of the book was the way Mr. author has organized Gandhi’s simplicity. Gandhi seemed so pure that it was quite hard to picture him as a politician. The author has succeeded to present Gandhi’s endeavor and his inspiration beautifully. While India was full of woman abusers, Gandhi was the person who said that he learned a lot from his wife. And the good thing is that Eknath thought of this fact as an important part of Gandhi’s life. However, the book could be more balanced about the consequences of Gandhi’s decisions. The book showed us Gandhi’s impression on only some indians. The book didn’t really talk about the fair Indian opposition Gandhi faced.

Fortunately, my cultural background is not so different from Gandhi’s. That’s the reason I didn’t feel completely unaware of Gandhi’s social problems. I had no trouble analyzing Gandhi’s early life decisions. Beside that as an immigrant I felt so connected with Gandhi when he lived in London. His activities were so relatable. At the same time the guilt and realization he had after a certain time really motivated me to stay focused on my real goals.

So, if someone asks me to rate this book, I’ll rate it ⅗. It has the potential to give away reasons to be kind and reasonable. However it couldn’t be a perfect biography because of its lack of information. A biography should hold every side and effects of a story. So readers can choose to agree or disagree with the person. If someone thinks that he or she will get an overall idea of that time. The reader will most likely be disappointed. Because it only idolizes Gandhi’s activities rather than analyzing these. So, If you want to know only some part of Gandhi’s life, I’ll recommend this book. Since, it doesn’t really hold Gandhi’s overall impression on the world. Although the book has a great historical background it could be more informative and slightly less biased. ...more

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May 13, 2024 Sadia Doha rated it really liked it

'Gandhi the Man' is a biographical work by Eknath Easwaran, an Indian-born spiritual teacher and author. The book falls under the genre of narrative biography and provides an in-depth exploration of the life and philosophy of Gandhi, the iconic leader of India's independence movement.

Easwaran, who was deeply influenced by Gandhi's teachings, offers a unique perspective on the Mahatma's spiritual journey and the principles that guided his nonviolent resistance. The author delves into Gandhi's ear ...more

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May 13, 2024 Hopeton Dorman rated it really liked it

Eknath Easwaran's “Gandhi the Man” is a biography based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. Eknath Easwaran, born on 17th December 1910 was an Indian-born spiritual teacher, author, translator, and interpreter of Indian religious text. Before reading this book I had preconceived notions of Gandhi. I read somewhere where it said he was racist to black Americans which led me to draw the conclusion that he wasted privilege not equality

Despite having preconceived notions about Gandhi, I felt ...more

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May 20, 2024 Rafia Islam rated it really liked it

I always knew how Gandhi was a famous personality but biography was never my favorite genre. As a consequence, I was not very excited when I first started reading the book. But, as I started reading, the way the book was written in such a beautifully organized way I was quite captivated. I give a star to the pleasing arrangement of the story. I give the second star for the way the biography had an overview of Gandhi’s life from the beginning to the end including his ups and downs in an evenly de I always knew how Gandhi was a famous personality but biography was never my favorite genre. As a consequence, I was not very excited when I first started reading the book. But, as I started reading, the way the book was written in such a beautifully organized way I was quite captivated. I give a star to the pleasing arrangement of the story. I give the second star for the way the biography had an overview of Gandhi’s life from the beginning to the end including his ups and downs in an evenly detailed way. I also like how it did not feel lengthy while reading. My third star goes for how the book gives multiple life lessons inspired by Gandhi’s life. For example how Gandhi adjusted in a completely different environment and culture, how he always stood by the side of the needy people and how he believes in nonviolence. It also includes some strong quotations delivered by Gandhi which are truly motivating such as “We have to make truth and nonviolence not matters for mere individual practice by groups and communities and nations. That at any rate is my dream.” - Gandhi.
The fourth star given by me is for how the book gives and proves the readers the true Gandhi, the man as well as a legend. The book shows Gandhi’s journey from the very beginning of life, shows every turning point of his life, his transformation and also shows how he became everyone's inspiration, “One evening, a prayer meeting was held under a tropical sky. There were hundreds of people gathered around just to hear Gandhi speak. Naturally there was a lot of noise and according to the author, “the crowd swayed and moved like the sea”. Compared to the huge crowd Gandhi looked small and weak. As soon as Gandhi entered everyone became still and were staring at Gandhi.” I give half a star because I expected to know more about how the people reacted to Gandhi’s success and if there was any negative viewpoint of the people.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading the book. The book tells us how Gandhi was as a person apart from a historical figure. I would recommend it to not just the biography lovers, but also to the people who are not much into biographies, because it shows a very transparent view to Gandhi’s life which I believe will be carried to the future readers.
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Mar 11, 2019 Tashema rated it really liked it

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