Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth 
asked by mattisboss on November 11, 2006 11:42 PM
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
Reviews
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This book is as Gandhi titled it - his experiments with truth. The publisher sells it as an autobiography. It's not. This book is a remarkable exploration of Gandhi's personal values as he tests them, learns from his errors and moves forward to try again. Gandhi's life is almost background scenery for his wonderful discussion of life, values and this man's seemingly boundless sense of human compassion.
reviewed by dannyboy on November 24, 2006 4:49 PM
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Gandhi may have been the only honest successfull politician ever.
If Gandhi had been born before the American Revolution, the declaration of independence may have including the protection of truth as one of the self evident responsibilities of the goverenment, and maybe pursuit of not so self-evident truths as a right...
Gandhi's autobiography along with The Daily Show's book on Democracy Inaction have inspired me to write my own book.
If Gandhi had been born before the American Revolution, the declaration of independence may have including the protection of truth as one of the self evident responsibilities of the goverenment, and maybe pursuit of not so self-evident truths as a right...
Gandhi's autobiography along with The Daily Show's book on Democracy Inaction have inspired me to write my own book.
reviewed by madfool on November 25, 2006 4:38 AM
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Barrister Gandhi, in his book "Gandhi and Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments With Truth" is a real account of experiments with truth or what is percieved to be the truth. Gandhi, the youngest of three sons was born and brought up in Porbandar, India. His love for truth and respect for all humanity was put in him by his father who was "...a lover of his clan, truthful, brave and generous..." His mother too left him with an "...outstanding impression ... of saintliness" as "she was deeply religious", a woman devoted to prayer and fasting. It's on this background that Mr. Gandhi built his life of Experiments on.
After reading the whole book I came out with the impression that he conducted the experiments to validate his parents' belief systems. One outstanding thing that jumped out at me is the fact that while his father, though uneducated, believed in literary education and sent him to school, Gandhi, though educated, did not believe in it. The result is that his boys, like their mother, never got a formal education as they were taught by their father at the "Tolstoy Farm" in Phoenix, South Africa. The hunger for literary education is seen in his eldest son who "...has often vent to his distress privately before me and publicly in the press..." about his lack of literary education.
Nevertheless, he used his education to teach everyone he came across. As a result, he helped start an organisation to help Indians in South Africa as well as led his Country to independence.
After reading the whole book I came out with the impression that he conducted the experiments to validate his parents' belief systems. One outstanding thing that jumped out at me is the fact that while his father, though uneducated, believed in literary education and sent him to school, Gandhi, though educated, did not believe in it. The result is that his boys, like their mother, never got a formal education as they were taught by their father at the "Tolstoy Farm" in Phoenix, South Africa. The hunger for literary education is seen in his eldest son who "...has often vent to his distress privately before me and publicly in the press..." about his lack of literary education.
Nevertheless, he used his education to teach everyone he came across. As a result, he helped start an organisation to help Indians in South Africa as well as led his Country to independence.
reviewed by benzdrives on November 25, 2006 2:28 PM