I just took it out of the library...just because you mentioned it that will be the first of books that I took out that I will read
It is definately on my list. I read Ishmael while living in a tree. It was immedieatly after a time I had spent over a month completely withdrawn from 'normal' civilization. It definately changed the way I viewd the world, although I don't share my new beliefs often, people rarely understand, and usually the words have adverse effects on the people who hear them The mushrooms I ate could have had a little to do with the epiphany.... read the book in one day and ate the mushroom caramel that night...
EH, Curious, where do your new beliefs differ or parallel Daniel's? I also read Ishmael. Though Daniel's writting style in my opinion is uninspired and his plot line unconvincing, Daniel's overall theme roughly parallels my own observations concerning Hierarchical Civilization's alienation and objectification of Nature. I am curious to see if Daniel's style has improved in this newer book. Also, I'm curious to see what Daniel is trying to say in this newer book?
Sometimes it takes an anthropologist to write fiction. In this case, Quinn basically made linear everything I was trying to believe/understand in the first decade and a half of my life. I started reading him when I was 16 with Ishmael, and I've finished that trilogy. I loved My Ishmael, I would start out the "knuckledheads" on that one since it's so pragmatic. After Dachau is great, but it's confusing as hell. I had to consult a fellow Quinnian to "get it." allison
I haven't read After Dachau yet, it's on my list as well. I read Ishmael a while back and found it quite interesting. I would love to read some more of Quinn's stuff sometime.
"After Dachua" was interesting. I came to Daniel Quinn after reading my mother's books by anthropologists like Marvin Harris and Margaret Mead. While I didn't really learn much from him, his take on the subject and his ideas are interesting. "Beyound Civilization" is particularily interesting, in how it takes what we may have learned from anthropology or books like "Ishmael" and applies it towards creating a vision for the future. I don't think he gives quite enough attention to those that are creating their own visions for the future now, it would have been a more interesting book if he actually hung out more with "The Tribe of Crow" and other groups. Perhaps he will in future books. Speaking of which, has anyone had what they would consider a distincly tribal experience with a group of people. (whether or not if fits into Quinn's definition). I had an interesting experience building a house with some people in August. While we weren't really "making a living" per ce, we were working together in such a fashion that we became almost what would be considered one organism. It was an amazing collective realization that I long to have again. I can see why such a life would create such loyalty among members.
