Why people recommend it
Ishmael by Daniel Quinn is a philosophical novel structured as a dialogue between a telepathic gorilla and a disillusioned man, exploring human civilization, environmental exploitation, and cultural mythologies. The book was discussed extensively on Timcast IRL, where Tim Pool and Ian Crossland recounted reading the novel years prior and explored its core concepts regarding humanity's division into taker and leaver societies. Pool frequently referenced the book to explain the origin of the show's popular gorilla t-shirt, which was inspired by viral commentary linking the telepathic primate character to internet memes. Additionally, Andrew Sage mentioned Quinn's work on Behind the Bastards to discuss alternative anthropological definitions of tribal social organization independent of ethnicity or subsistence strategies. Across these podcast segments, the book served as both a nostalgic touchstone for cultural memes and a serious philosophical prompt for questioning modern civilization's impact on the natural world.
Who recommended it
- Tim Pool Discussed
- Andrew Sage Discussed
- Ian Crossland Discussed
Tim Pool — 2 mentions
“thank you very much for those that are josh for sending me a copy of ishmael for those that aren't familiar the meme i am a gorilla which we sell the shirt go to timcast.com click shop and you get your i am a gorilla t-shirt it's based off of alex jones saying this book ishmael is a psychic gorilla”
“well because the it's based on this book called ishmael where this like spirit was in a spirit gorilla uh this guy was like seeking the meaning of life he finds this gorilla who has telepathic powers and talks to him telepathically”
Andrew Sage — 1 mention
“The author Daniel Quinn in his book Ishmael had made a point that tribes can be defined not by Hunter and Catherine or ethnicity, but as a social organization that allows people to make a living together.”
Ian Crossland — 1 mention
“yeah i read ishmael am i supposed to talk about that right now it was like it was like 12 years ago”
Mentioned on the show without a named speaker — 2
“Well because the it's based on this book called ishmael where this like spirit was in a spirit gorilla”
“yeah i read ishmael am i supposed to talk about that right now It was like it was like 12 years ago Ishmael is the book where the gorilla comes from these the gorillas called ishmael”
Also mentioned in the same episodes
Other mentions (1: passing, ad reads, own books)
“Psychic gorilla! Ishmael, we should get here!”