I have never read a book quite like Ishmael. Unlike 90% of books that I have read at school this year, I found myself legitimately intrigued by the ideas it brought up, and frustrated when others were not open-minded to the very plausible concepts that it presented. Something I see everyday, and something I obviously commit myself, is an obnoxious and counterproductive hypocrisy. Let me explain.
It's the easiest thing in the world to have a Harkness discussion about open-mindedness and what it takes to make a change in the world, but when it comes to TRULY opening your mind, it's unthinkable. An idea that is too far fetched is dismissed immediately, even if it may have the potential to be revolutionary. Without the power of belief to support a brave new concept, it's useless, and this is frustrating to me.
I recognize that it is difficult to truly accept a new idea, but in order to break ground I believe that it is completely necessary. While reading Ishmael, I took note of ideas and theories that were different and a little frightening. But they were detailed and logical to a convincing extent. There is so much that is unexplained in the world and in life, and Ishmael is a truly wonderful and impressively legitimate attempt to sort everything out. I applaud Daniel Quinn and his unapologetic attempt to open people's mind.
My mother once showed me this movie called The Secret. It was about the Law of Attraction, and how through the power of believing you have the potential to acquire anything you desire, whether it be wealth, relationships, fame, success, and nearly everything else. My mom showed it to me in hopes that I could turn things around for myself during a hard period of my life. I thought it was crap. I thought to myself, "how is that even possible? Of course it isn't worth a shot." But after a while I had a difficult time getting the concept out of my mind. Suddenly I wondered, "why do I have to understand everything?"
The truth is, I don't. And I can't. But books like Ishmael satisfy my hunger to try. Because of this, Ishmael is one of the best and most important books I have ever read.
