>Who or what is "Ishmael", Debbie?
I left the original post short, deliberately, because I knew others would
quote it and the following threads may have become unwieldy. However,
the most fun in asking "What have you read that changed your way of
thinking?" is that, in the answer, you often uncover veins of discovery,
optimism, and excitement in your conversants. The why of the book is as
important as the what, what book. In that spirit: Ishmael is currently
available in most book stores. I can't recall the author, because my
teenage daughter borrowed the book right after I read it and has been
sharing it with her friends. It is written in a fable format (which
always makes it more fun for me). The author finds himself in the
unusual position, of learning how to _save the world_ from a great ape,
via stories the ape tells him (telepathically). The premise is that we
receive our stories from Mother Culture whispering in our ears, and that
the tenets we hold as truth are mostly perceptions which help us believe
our particular cultural viewpoint.
I won't spoil it by revealing much more. Trust me, you will never view
the world the same way again. 3 in our family read it, and we often find
ourselves muttering at the TV, "Mother Culture", simultaneously.
Remember, you need a Wow a Week to maintain a healthy mind.
I would appreciate any stories about experiences from those of you who
use this conversation-starter about books with friends/colleagues.
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Host's Note: Daniel Quinn is the author of Ishmail. Pegasus
communications has a tape of Quinn, Senge, and Meg Wheatley discussing
"The role of Business in the 21st Century." at 10/94 Conference. Contact
pegasus@world.std.com or 617-576-1231.
-- Rick Karash, rkarash@world.stde.com, host for learning-org
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-- Debbie Gunther <gungazo@execpc.com>