Ishmael by Daniel Quinn

Daniel Quinn’s novel, Ishmael, was assigned to my Environmental Science class by Mr. Senese. Many people in my class said that it was very boring and many people couldn’t stand this style of book. By “this style of book” I mean a majority of the book consisting of a conversation about our lives on earth between a man and a very intelligent gorilla, named Ishmael. Contrary to my classmates, I happened to think the novel was very eye-opening and intriguing. The ideas explored in the book really kept me reading, and the flowing nature of the informal conversation makes it a relatively quick read. I would suggest this book to older readers, who don’t require a menagerie of action sequences to get through a book, and anyone who has a great curiosity about a great number of things such as myself. - Cody P., class of 2012


Sometimes people wonder where their mannerisms came from, or how their ancestors created such an elaborate universe. Ishmael is a gorilla that speaks telepathically to a special young man, who becomes his pupil after reading an ad in the paper that captures his attention. Ultimately, Ishmael's pupil learns about how the Earth's people behave and why they behave in that manner, with detailed explanations and breathtaking stories told by Ishmael along the way. Personally, I could not put this specific novel dow n because of the large amounts of informmation that back up Ishmael's beliefs; they really "suck in" readers! Also, toward the end of the novel, readers can find out if the special young man applied Ishmael's recommendations to his life. I highly recommend this book to anyone that is interested in anthropology and how our world came to be. What you know about the world will drastically change after you embark on this incredible, unforgettable journey! - Brittany G., class of 2012