Gandhi the Man
Encyclopedia
Gandhi the Man is a biography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi written by Eknath Easwaran
. The book was originally published in the US
in 1973. Several subsequent expanded editions have been published. Foreign (non-English) editions have also been published in several languages.
,
(1989, May 21). New York Post
, pp. 4-5. Review of Gandhi the Man, A Man to Match His Mountains, Meditation, The Mantram Handbook, and Conquest of Mind. the San Francisco Chronicle
, The History Teacher
,
In the New York Post, Bill McKibben
wrote that Gandhi the Man "seems at first glance like pure hagiography, most notable for the wonderful photographs it contains. But it isn't a picture book - in fact,
In The History Teacher, Donald Cody wrote that "the book's uniqueness lies in the effective interspersing of some six dozen pictures throughout the relatively short text [...which] itself is biographical only in a very general way; the author's major goal is to reveal the spiritual dimensions of Gandhi's life.... Teachers and college students, in particular, will find the two or three hours spent with this book a rare inspirational experience. Even high school students who appreciate works with a spiritual focus will be affected by its profound message."
Cody also wrote that "while the author describes [the] political struggle in considerable detail, he is more interested in showing that Gandhi did not see achieving India's freedom as his primary goal. In fact, had he not believed that British rule was particularly injurious to the Indian lower classes, he might not have involved himself in the independence movement at all."
In the Bulletin of Science Technology & Society, Tonya Emeigh suggested that Gandhi the Man could be used for teaching humane attitudes towards farm animals.
The publisher quoted influential religion scholar Huston Smith
as stating that "This book belongs in every public library in the English-speaking world."
),
(Iran/Farsi).ققنوس، (Phoenix). ISBN 9643114112, ISBN 9789643114114 (190 pages).
English-language editions have been published in Canada, India, and the US. The US editions are: ISBN 1586380559 (200 pages) ebook: ISBN 9781586380670(179 pages, hardcover); ISBN 9780915132966 (179 pages, paperback)(192 pages); ISBN 9780394714974 (192 pages)(hardcover); ISBN 0915132141 (paperback)
Canadian edition:(192 pages); ISBN 9780855001940 (192 pages)
Indian edition:
Eknath Easwaran
Eknath Easwaran was a spiritual teacher, an author of books on meditation and ways to lead a fulfilling life, as well as a translator and interpreter of Indian literature....
. The book was originally published in the US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1973. Several subsequent expanded editions have been published. Foreign (non-English) editions have also been published in several languages.
Topics covered
All US editions of Gandhi the Man contain four major parts entitled 1) The Transformation, 2) The Way of Love, 3) Mother and Child, and 4) Gandhi the Man. All US editions also contain numerous photographs. More recent editions contain a foreword by Michael Nagler and an Appendix by Timothy Flinders entitled "How Satyagraha Works." The 4th edition (2011) contains several pages of maps and chronology (timelines), and additional background notes.Reviews and influence
Reviews have appeared in the New York PostNew York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
,
Bill McKibben
William Ernest "Bill" McKibben is an American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively on the impact of global warming. He is the Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College...
(1989, May 21). New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
, pp. 4-5. Review of Gandhi the Man, A Man to Match His Mountains, Meditation, The Mantram Handbook, and Conquest of Mind. the San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
, The History Teacher
The History Teacher
The History Teacher is a quarterly academic journal concerned with the teaching of history in schools, colleges, and universities. It was established in 1967 and is published by The Society for History Education....
,
In the New York Post, Bill McKibben
Bill McKibben
William Ernest "Bill" McKibben is an American environmentalist, author, and journalist who has written extensively on the impact of global warming. He is the Schumann Distinguished Scholar at Middlebury College...
wrote that Gandhi the Man "seems at first glance like pure hagiography, most notable for the wonderful photographs it contains. But it isn't a picture book - in fact,
in very few words, it comes closer to giving some sense of how Gandhi saw his life than any other account I have read. From the outside, his life looked like a political drama... But from the inside, Easwaran argues quite persuasively, it looked quite different. Gandhi mastered his own life - took charge of his mind and his body. As a result he knew no fear, only great and undifferentiated love for the rest of creation. And so he was able to powerfully affect that creation."
In The History Teacher, Donald Cody wrote that "the book's uniqueness lies in the effective interspersing of some six dozen pictures throughout the relatively short text [...which] itself is biographical only in a very general way; the author's major goal is to reveal the spiritual dimensions of Gandhi's life.... Teachers and college students, in particular, will find the two or three hours spent with this book a rare inspirational experience. Even high school students who appreciate works with a spiritual focus will be affected by its profound message."
Cody also wrote that "while the author describes [the] political struggle in considerable detail, he is more interested in showing that Gandhi did not see achieving India's freedom as his primary goal. In fact, had he not believed that British rule was particularly injurious to the Indian lower classes, he might not have involved himself in the independence movement at all."
In the Bulletin of Science Technology & Society, Tonya Emeigh suggested that Gandhi the Man could be used for teaching humane attitudes towards farm animals.
The publisher quoted influential religion scholar Huston Smith
Huston Smith
Huston Cummings Smith is a religious studies scholar in the United States. His book The World's Religions remains a popular introduction to comparative religion.-Education:...
as stating that "This book belongs in every public library in the English-speaking world."
Editions
The original edition was published by in 1973 by Glide Publications (San Francisco). Several later US editions were published Nilgiri Press. Other editions have been published in Chinese (PRCPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
),
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
(Iran/Farsi).
English-language editions have been published in Canada, India, and the US. The US editions are: ISBN 1586380559 (200 pages) ebook: ISBN 9781586380670(179 pages, hardcover); ISBN 9780915132966 (179 pages, paperback)(192 pages); ISBN 9780394714974 (192 pages)(hardcover); ISBN 0915132141 (paperback)
- Easwaran, Eknath (1973), Gandhi the Man (1st ed.). San Francisco, CA: Glide Publications. Compiled from the perspective of Eknath Easwaran by Jo Anne Black, Nick Harvey, and Laurel Robertson. ISBN 0912078170, LC 77176240 (157 pages, paper)
Canadian edition:(192 pages); ISBN 9780855001940 (192 pages)
Indian edition:
- Eknath Easwaran (1997). Gandhi the Man. Mumbai, India: Jaico. ISBN 8172245173, ISBN 9788172245177 (192 pages).
See also
- Nonviolent Soldier of IslamNonviolent Soldier of IslamNonviolent Soldier of Islam is a biography of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan , an ally of Gandhi's in the Indian independence movement. Originally written by Eknath Easwaran in English, foreign editions have also been published in Arabic and several other languages.Foreign editions of Nilgiri Press Books,...
(by same author, a biography of Gandhi's Muslim associate, Abdul Ghaffar Khan) - The Story of My Experiments with TruthThe Story of My Experiments with TruthThe Story of My Experiments with Truth is the autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1920. It was initiated at the insistence of Swami Anand and other close co-workers of Gandhi, for him to explain the background of his public campaigns...
(Gandhi's autobiography) - List of artistic depictions of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi