Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth (Paperback)

~ Mohandas Karamchand (Mahatma) Gandhi (Author), (Author), Sissela Bok (Foreword)
Key Phrases: police superintendent, experiments with truth, brahmacharya vow, South Africa, Abdulla Sheth, Dada Abdulla (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gandhi's nonviolent struggles in South Africa and India had already brought him to such a level of notoriety, adulation, and controversy that when asked to write an autobiography midway through his career, he took it as an opportunity to explain himself. Although accepting of his status as a great innovator in the struggle against racism, violence, and, just then, colonialism, Gandhi feared that enthusiasm for his ideas tended to exceed a deeper understanding. He says that he was after truth rooted in devotion to God and attributed the turning points, successes, and challenges in his life to the will of God. His attempts to get closer to this divine power led him to seek purity through simple living, dietary practices (he called himself a fruitarian), celibacy, and ahimsa, a life without violence. It is in this sense that he calls his book The Story of My Experiments with Truth, offering it also as a reference for those who would follow in his footsteps. A reader expecting a complete accounting of his actions, however, will be sorely disappointed.

Although Gandhi presents his episodes chronologically, he happily leaves wide gaps, such as the entire satyagraha struggle in South Africa, for which he refers the reader to another of his books. And writing for his contemporaries, he takes it for granted that the reader is familiar with the major events of his life and of the political milieu of early 20th-century India. For the objective story, try Yogesh Chadha's Gandhi: A Life. For the inner world of a man held as a criminal by the British, a hero by Muslims, and a holy man by Hindus, look no further than these experiments. --Brian Bruya

Product Description

Translated by Mahadev Desai and with a New Preface
The only authorized American edition
Mohandas K. Gandhi is one of the most inspiring figures of our time. In his classic autobiography he recounts the story of his life and how he developed his concept of active nonviolent resistance, which propelled the Indian struggle for independence and countless other nonviolent struggles of the twentieth century.

In a new foreword, noted peace expert and teacher Sissela Bok urges us to adopt Gandhi's "attitude of experimenting, of tesing what will and will not bear close scrutiny, what can and cannot be adapted to new circumstances," in order to bring about change in our own lives and communities. All royalties earned on this book are paid to the Navajivan Trust, founded by Gandhi, for use in carrying on his work.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 528 pages
• Publisher: Beacon Press (November 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0807059099
• ISBN-13: 978-0807059098
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (75 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #6,040 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

136 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A transparent glimpse into the mind of a truly great soul, January 19, 2003

By	Robert Moore (Chicago, IL USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

In many ways, this is a somewhat unusual autobiography. It is as remarkable for what Gandhi decides to leave out as for what he includes. He obviously didn't intend to deal with every major event, and delve into every area. It is less a comprehensive narrative than it is a series of reflections on his life. Some have criticized the book because he often deals more intensely with questions about what kind of diet he would follow than many of the great historical achievements of his life. But Gandhi was who he was as an international figure because of who he was as an ethical individual. The moral seriousness with which he broods over his diet reveals a great deal about who he is as a person. As a side note, I should add that when I read this book, I had been thinking about becoming a vegetarian, and while I found no new arguments for doing so in this book, his moral example gave me the courage to do so.

The greatest quality about this book is one it shares with most of Gandhi's writing: when he writes you get the sense that he is giving us his unedited thoughts. During even the greatest crises in his struggle for Indian independence, Gandhi's writings have the quality of a transcription of what he is thinking. More than any figure I can think of, Gandhi revealed precisely what he was thinking. The almost complete lack of artifice in his writing is one of the most impressive aspects of his writing as a whole and of his autobiography in particular. One is struck by his honesty, by his humility, and by his intense, almost overwhelming, moral passion.

This is not a literary masterpiece. If one goes into it expecting it to rival such other autobiographies as Rousseau's CONFESSIONS or Nabokov's SPEAK, MEMORY or even Franklin's AUTOBIOGRAPHY, one will be disappointed. Although he was a prolific writer, Gandhi was not a great writer. He was unquestionably one of the towering figures of the 20th century, but it was because of what he did, not because of what he wrote. But for some of us, encountering so directly on the printed page such a fundamentally great soul can be close to overpowering.

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My all-time favorite book, October 30, 2000

By	"r-k-k" (Wisconsin) - See all my reviews

I first read this book in the spring of 1998 when I was home with a cold and fever, and I can say that it is one of the best things that ever happened to me. The events described in the book are a hundred years old, but Gandhi has a way of describing their essence which is timeless, and will grip you in a way that makes them entirely relevant to today's world. It made me wonder how the world might have been if people today only followed his ideas. But this is no boring lecture on politics or nonviolence. In fact quite the opposite - it is the sparkling story of a very special man told in his own words. We learn about truth and non-violence in the best way possible, by observing Gandhi's actions as he goes about matters small and big. It brought Gandhi to life in a very special way. I always admired his principles, but now feel closer to Gandhi the man. This is a first-hand account that cannot be ignored. My only regret was that the book ended much too soon (mid 1920's) and there was nothing to cover the rest of his life. I can think of no person of any age who would not be greatly enriched by this book. For the interested, I found the companion book "Satyagraha in South Africa" (also by Gandhi) to be just as good.

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of a man as explorer., January 8, 2007

By	frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews (TOP 100 REVIEWER)

There is a lot of discussion as to whether this book is actually an autobiography or not. I am not sure whether it is really a question relevant to the work, but it is probably relevant for people who want to decide whether or not to buy the book. So. It is a recounting by Gandhi of his life as it related to his search for truth. It is not a general autobiography, although you will find autobiographical details. It is also not a series of essays about truth-- Gandhi writes very personally about his search for truth, not necessarily about what he found there. I would say that an autobiography about this specific aspect of his life is a fair enough description.

The book is divided into many small chapters. It is clearly intended for a large audience and the chapters are largely able to stand on their own and simply written. Gandhi addresses issues such as food habits, comparative religion, political involvement, justice and the law, and chastity.

I found it quick and easy to read. I liked his voice as a writer very much. I had the feeling that he was not hiding or leading. He left the reader free to either agree or disagree with his actions and conclusions. Most writers in this space have neither the clarity nor the confidence exhibited in The Story of My Experiments With Truth. More, I enjoyed the book. The tone is often wry and sprightly, and as a whole it is very engaging to read. I might have wished that Gandhi had spent more time on some of the subjects, but that was not the purpose of the work.

Recommended for people with an interest in Gandhi, Indian/South African history, or spiritual exploration. The simple accessible style should make it available to a wide range of readers across virtually all age groups.