TEACHER SEEKS PUPIL.
Must have an earnest desire to save the world. Apply in person.
It was just a three-line ad in the personals section, but it launched the adventure of a lifetime.
So begins an utterly unique and captivating novel. In Ishmael, which received the Turner Tomorrow Fellowship for the best work of fiction offering positive solutions to global problems, Daniel Quinn parses humanity’s origins and its relationship with nature, in search of an answer to this challenging question: How can we save the world from ourselves?
Ishmael is a philosophical novel that unfolds through an unexpected dialogue between a man and a telepathic gorilla named Ishmael. Together, they explore the stories humanity tells itself about civilization, progress, dominance, and our relationship with the natural world. Blending fiction, philosophy, ecology, and social critique, the book challenges readers to reconsider what it means to live sustainably and consciously within the greater web of life. Thought-provoking and surprisingly accessible, Ishmael invites reflection far beyond its pages.
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• What core assumptions about humanity or civilization did this book challenge for you?
• The book contrasts different cultural “stories” that humans live by. What stories do you think shape your own life and worldview?
• Did Ishmael leave you feeling hopeful, discouraged, inspired, or unsettled about humanity’s relationship with the planet? Why?
• How does modern culture influence our sense of separation or connection from nature, community, and purpose?
• What parts of the book felt most relevant to the world we are living in today?
