Jonathan Livingston Seagull: The Complete Edition

I've read many reviews on this book. I'm not satisfied with most. Most both negative and positive have poor reasons.Most negatives I read just don't like mindless hippy-ness and empty new age philosophy (neither do I); they think the book propagates these things so they condemn it. It only propagates mindlessness if you are short-sited enough to assume that is its message. Don't be.Most positives I read just demonstrate the mindlessness that the negatives dislike. There is more to get out of this book than the "feel-good" aspect.To those who think the subject matter is thoughtless: look deeper.This is a much more accurate view of heaven than what most people have discerned from the Bible. If you want evidence of this, read Mark 12:34 in context. Heaven is not a place.It also indicates some of Bach's suspicions about the true nature of messiahs (Muhammad, Buddah, Jesus) that the world upholds and a possiblity of their true nature.It is clear that Bach meant flying for seagulls to represent learning for humans. I am in agreement with him that this is what we do best and what life is about: learning, growing. In fact this is (ironically) the same viewpoint that the negative spotlight reviewer, dbsholes, seems to have (go read new books; don't become stagnant).I like that the highest rung on Bach's "learning ladder" seemed to be love. This parallels biblical teaching (1 Jn 4:16; 1 Co 13).The most important idea (in my opinion) that the book hints at is the possiblity that God is not a being, but a mind of which we are a part.If this sounds like foolishness, read the first chapter of Swarm Intelligence (SI) by James Kennedy and Russel C. Eberhart, a graduate level discussion of minds (with a focus on artificial intelligence). The first chapter of SI is a discourse on the nature of minds (and how much of a misunderstanding most people have about what they really are). I wouldn't immediately buy it unless you are a Computer Science graduate focusing on AI or a Psychology major, but it is definately worth a check-out from the library, although I doubt a non-collegiate library would have it.We don't have to overcome the laws of nature. Never does the book state that the seagulls are overcoming the laws of nature. They are simply coming to realize that the laws of nature don't limit them, that the only thing limiting them is themselves. We assume the laws limit us when in fact they are the tools set up to help us.I don't know if Bach thought he was just making this stuff up, but the reality is he has hit the nail right on the head.There is more to the book than I have listed here. I'll leave the rest for you to discover.

My church used this book as the background for strengthening our Faith. We now say, we are roaring and soaring in our Faith.🙏🏿

Just a classic story…beautiful

So happy to visit my pure, timeless friend, Jonathan, again after all these years. Just gave this book to my niece, who wants to be a pilot—with the inscription, “Keep working on love, Jonathan.”And there it is!

This book is in excellent shape. Thank you.