Product Description

Jonathan Livingston Seagull, the most celebrated inspirational fable of our time, tells the story of a bird determined to be more than ordinary. This bestselling modern classic, reissued with a beautiful new cover design, is a story for people who want to follow their dreams and make their own rules and has inspired people for decades. 'Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight -- how to get from shore to food and back again,' writes author Richard Bach in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. 'For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight.' Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes this story soar. This bestselling modern classic is a fable about seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe or neighbourhood finds your ambition threatening (at one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock). By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan learns the meaning of love and kindness and gets the ultimate payoff -- transcendence. The dreamy illustrations by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations for this spirituality classic that has inspired thousands of readers to follow their own path in life and so fulfill their true potential.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2565 in Books
• Published on: 1994-08-22
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
"Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight--how to get from shore to food and back again," writes author Richard Bach, in this allegory about a unique bird named Jonathan Livingston Seagull. "For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight." Flight is indeed the metaphor that makes the story soar. Ultimately this is a fable about the importance of seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, tribe or neighbourhood finds your ambition threatening. (At one point our beloved gull is even banished from his flock.) By not compromising his higher vision, Jonathan gets the ultimate pay-off: transcendence. Ultimately, he learns the meaning of love and kindness. The dreamy seagull photographs by Russell Munson provide just the right illustrations--although the overall packaging does seem a bit dated (keep in mind that it was first published in 1970). Nonetheless, this is a spirituality classic and an especially engaging parable for adolescents. --Gail Hudson

Review
'Richard Bach with this book does two things. He gives me Flight. He makes me Young. For both I am deeply grateful.' RAY BRADBURY

About the Author
Richard Bach was a tactical fighter pilot, a motion picture stunt pilot, and flight instructor before becoming one of the world's bestselling authors. His books include Illusions and Running from Safety.

Customer Reviews

superlative, uplifting, genre defining
Absolutely superb work by Bach. Extremely short novel, an easy afternoon read. Despite its length it is immensely powerful and has had a deep impact on all the people I know who have read it.

Oh, and it doesn't matter if it doesn't look like it's the kind of thing you would normally read (basically, whatever you normally read, this isn't like it); it seems to have the same effect on everyone, regardless of taste.

I would urge anyone who has a grasp of the English language to read this book.

Twenty four copies later ...
I have just ordered my twenty-fourth copy of this book! Having read it so many times over 15 years, I have worn out most copies - the rest I have bought for other people. It was the book that changed my life. Whenever circumstances in my life have led me to ponder life itself, this book has been my 'bible' of inspiration. Sometimes it will inspire, sometimes it will make you cry - releasing the grief and stress of your life. Whatever it does to you, one day this book will hit you between the eyes. You might read it at the wrong time of your life and it may mean nothing, but I guarantee that one day, this book will make sense and change your total outlook on life forever. After that, it's just good to re-read to top-up with the positive vibes. Read, absorb and move forward. Re-read, rise higher and fly free.

It's not the length but the message that is important
The reason i bought this book was because a famous bodybuilder called Tom Platz who was very succesfull in the late 70's through to the early 90's menetioned it. In a 1980 interview on Arnold's Total Rebuild video he considered bodybuilding to be philosophical and mentioned this book as an influence.

He said "The seagull wanted to do something artistic and out of the ordinary compared to the everyday things that he was supposed to do"

I thought that if it could innfluence an athlete such as him then it would be good for me.

I was right.

Don't get me wrong there are probably more indepth philosophy books and better fable stories but the former are more likely to be "Americanised" using lots of buzz words and phrases with feel good meanings.

The beauty of this book is in it's simplicity - a story of a seagull wanting to do something different and WHY. It's written by a British writer. It isn't very long (about 30 of the 87 pages are photos of seagulls)

THAT IS NOT THE POINT. IT'S THE MESSAGE THE BOOK HAS.

It'll only take an hour to read but it's message may last a lifetime