Customer Reviews

The Essential Gandhi

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This is a book that should- and will- profoundly affect you. On the one hand its wonderful and inspiring. But I find myself instead feeling heart-broken. Mournful. I grieve for an alternate reality where our leaders have either the education, curiosity, wisdom, or courage to embrace the lessons of great people such as Gandhi. It's not exactly esoteric stuff. Everyone knows the name Gandhi and has at least some sense of where he stands historically. Even for the non-readers, there was the movie. It was a big deal.

Gandhi's true transformation occurred when he realized that violence is demeaning not just to victims but to the perpetrators. It is an intoxicating release of sadistic impulses. Impulses that are addicting and toxic. I was reading this book and think about the state of the world, and found myself thinking the tired cliché: give peace a chance. It feels so trite, a well-worn sixties throw-back. But it also a courageous sentiment. Peace takes courage and creativity, and it isn't as quick and easy as violence in the short-term, but it is more than just a dream. Peace is a bold assertion.

What kinds of things crossed my mind when I was reading this book? When John Kerry returned from Vietnam and testified about atrocities being committed by both sides, he was vilified by the right wing, portrayed as a traitor. But it was an act of courage. He obviously wasn't saying we should stop the war because American soldiers are bad people. He was showing how violence leads to more violence, how the violence of an unjust war corrupted the souls of good young Americans who were drawn into warfare. Violence leads to violence, but most importantly the converse is also true. Non-violence is just as contagious. We see peace leading to peace on all levels, from the macro international level all the way down to individual relationships. Another example that crossed my mind is the all-to-recent transformation in the culture of inpatient psychiatry. In the past, restraining people was considered a good treatment option because it quickly stopped dangerous behavior and gave staff a sense of control and safety. But now, the attitude has changed. Restraints are no longer seen as a treatment option but instead as a treatment failure, a last ditch resort for extreme cases only. And the results? People are actually safer. Violent patient behavior eventually goes down when staff thinks creatively of non-traumatic solutions. Those are some of the things that crossed my mind as I read this book.

Something else I like about Gandhi, as reflected in his writings: Whether or not you believe he was born destined for greatness has to do with your spiritual bent, but either way, he accomplished what he accomplished as a political leader and philosopher through the hard work of personal journey and spiritual exploration. He was an anglophile when he was young, buying into the classism of the oppressors. When he became radicalized after witnessing the cruelty and the glee with which the British soldiers repressed rebellion, the pendulum at first swung all the way the other way. He became a separatist, not unlike Malcolm X prior to his spiritual transformation. In fact, Gandhi was almost a middle-aged man before coming up with the magnanimous observation that violence degrades all involved, victims and perpetrators alike. That was a surprise to me actually, that Gandhi rejected separatism at an older age than Malcolm X did.

So read Gandhi. Read, share your books, talk about what it stirs up. Dream of a better way. And find a way to act on your dreams. And read John Stuart Mill, Emma Goldman, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Edward Said, Chomsky... Agree, disagree, but read with an open mind.
Sorry for all the chatter. Thank you for listening, bye bye.

The Essential Gandhi presents important spiritual and politial concepts from Gandhi's concise, prophetic speeches and writings. Editor Louis Fischer accurately frames Gandhi's quotes, often explaining the political or cultural environment in South African and India as it was in Gandhi's time..

This book is a difficult read because it is a collection of quotes that have been organized by subject, albeit somewhat poorly. Nevertheless, it offers tremendous insights.

I recommend The Essential Gandhi highly to those seeking spirituality and truth, and do not recommend it to those interested in a casual intellectual read.

I have read every Gandhi book i could get my hands on, such as all his autobiographies, and this book is by far the best and just as accurate. With this book and the writings that are on his official website, you will have all the information you will ever need. One thing to keep in mind, that many people seem to forget, is that Gandhi was a normal man like you and me. He made mistakes just like every other man, but had the courage to always follow his 'inner voice' even in his unperfectness. This is a life changing book for those who dare to look within themselves.

Gandhi's words have never been so pertinent as they are today. This is an anthology of his writings, edited by topic in chronological order. It's an autobiography revealing Gandhi's evolution from a fearful young man, afraid of the dark, to a fearless leader who feared no rebuke by an empire. More than an aesthete in a modern world, Gandhi's complexity is revealed in each passage as he penitently reveals his transformation into selfless service and living simply. His words and actions inspired others to follow without fear of retaliation and could guide today's leaders to a peaceful resolve. The book reads like a primer on non-violence.

Eknath Easwaran's 18 page Preface is worth the price of the 339 page paperbound book.

This is a mind opening, life changing book. The thoughts and writings, spaning over the entire course of Gandhi's life, offer a glipse into the mind and habits of one of God's greatest followers. His peaceful approach to life and his undying love for friend and foe alike will motivate any reader to the highest level. This is a must read for anyone, regardless of nationality or creed, who wishes to see the potential all humans have within them.

Before purchasing this book I had purchased quite a few of other Gandhi titles, but this book truely takes the cake.
It is so incredibly well organized, hits the essential notes about Gandhi the man, his spiritual and political gifts to the world.
Anytime i need a dose of inner strength and need to evoke a spirit of service in my self this very portable and handy book is the magic key

The format of this book is a little unusual, it's basically an abridged version of Gandhi's writings, supplimented with editorial comments which set the scene for when and where his statements are coming from. If you're not entirely familiar with Gandhi's life or some of the basic aspects of Indian culture at the time, these editorial comments are very helpful. For example, just before some statements about Gandhi's use of the Gita (around page 160) the editor gives a brief summary of the what the Gita is.

Moving on from the basic format, I found this book very enlightening, and not in the way that other reviewers seem to have. I doubt very much that I'm in a position to change anyone's opinion on him, but I ask that if you buy this book, look closely at the ways in which Gandhi supports his claims. Oftentimes he makes grand statements and then leaves them in the air, unsupported. This is not in an of itself a bad thing, as sometimes the truth value of a statement is obvious to the casual observer, but then again sometimes it is not.

Gandhi was certainly a great leader, but I think it's stretching to call him a great philosopher. His ideas were not new, even if the grand-scale application of them was. He seeks truth but seems largely unconcerned with methodology, which undermines the grand statements he makes.

If you do read this book critically, it may help to keep in mind persuasive techniques, even beginner things like appealing to authority. Watch for strange analogies, as in page 168's equating atoms to people and Love to hydrogen/ionic/covalent bonds.

It probably seems a little weird to hear someone object to the methodology of someone like Gandhi, but these days we have to be aware of the methods by which the people around us seem convincing, whether we like what they're saying or not.

I really liked the way everything is laid out in this book, allowing you to read Gandhi's own words coupled with an explanation of events that was driving him.

I've read a total of 3 books about Mahatma Gandhi, all of them stemming from his own writings. This is the best out of those three books.

It is well organized and takes the most crucial parts of his writings and puts them in an order that is coherent and easy to read. The notes by the editor also make it easy for someone who does not know the whole history surrounding Gandhi's plight. She sets the setting and environment with each chapter making sure the reader knows what is going on regardless of their previous knowledge of the situation.

This is why I always suggest this book to anyone who wants to start learning about this amazing man. It is very inspirational, and I have highlighted and reflected on quite a few passages. This is one of my most lent books since everyone hears about and references this man, but very few actually know anything about him.

This is the best book to allow people to be introduced to his ideas and beliefs.

but why not get the originals instead, avaiable here cheaply on amazon.

This book draws from a number of original sources, including "My Experiments with Truth", etc., and you may choose to skip these excerpts and get the full writings. The more in this case the better.

Yet please take a moment to view the back cover using amazon's remarkable "Search Inside" feature, to read the quote about Gandhi's inevitability written by our nation's greatest Christian preacher, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., slain for doing and preaching non-violence, including opposing profitable warmongering and warmaking that only killed and wounded his and other peoples of color. King learned much about Christianity from Gandhi, and we can do no less. Lucky if we do as well.

Again, please search the mighty amazon for all of Gandhi's orignal works and read them in their entirety,and not only these excerpts collected originally long ago. (In fact one chapter heading, not quoting Gandhi, refers to Negros, a term which fell out of use some forty years ago).

I in particular now study with gratitude his Tous les hommes sont freres, whose topics are tellingly urgent today. His Way to God is also very very helpful and consoling.

But if you need a fine introductory text, begin here if you promise not to rest here. Vintage Spiritual Classics series are a decent popular source, but not the deep river that runs nearby. It is a division of Random House here recycling and reprinting old works still in the catalogue in new wineskins.

Go to the originals! These are the leaders and voices we most sorely need today: Dr. King and Gandhi. Or just read the Reverend Father John Dear, SJ, and you'll get the idea if not the Spirit. Or better yet, get Father Dear's collection of Gandhi's writings instead, from Orbis Books' Modern Spiritual Masters series entitled, Mohandas Gandhi: Essential Writings.