Swimmer Among The Stars: An Autobiography

This is one of the most honest and inspiring autobiographies I have read. Gandhi was incredible. Well worth a read to see how he viewed his life from the inside. Amazing.

This is a beautiful and deeply-moving book written by a man of rare integrity setting a glowing example to all that live upon this Earth. Gandhi's attention to everyday detail, his focus on openness and honesty, his endless search for Truth in the matter-of-fact experience of everyday life whilst living humbly, embracing lovingly all that lives, points the way, an example for us all.....and yet a way that has been ignored by modern Indian politics and business as the ways of the West are embraced instead. An important book to read if only to remind yourself that there is another way to live that embraces love, non-violence, humility and respect for all regardless of social class, religion and race so desperately needed in our challenged world today.

This is a fantastic book. Like most everyone I knew the basic facts of the great man, mostly based I guess on the Ben Kingsley film. This book is autobiographical articles that MK Gandhi wrote in the 1920s to be published as installments in newspaper publications. The beauty of that for me was the fact that although the book is quite long it was broken into 170 chapters of a few pages each. This also allowed time for reflection. It is the story of his personal walk from childhood and married at 13, through studies in the UK, difficulties as he started work in India and his movement to South Africa to find work, his time in South Africa and his return to India and his early years back in India. It misses most of the famous things about his life and focuses more on his personal and spiritual search for Truth. I liked that it that way. It gave a very different perspective on his life. Although some parts were hard to understand without a more detailed knowledge of his life, India and Hindu religious belief I did not find that detracted very much at all from my enjoyment or reflection on this book. It also shows his struggles as he is trying to perfect his search for Truth/God and where he feels disappointed with his efforts. There is a lot of information on his experiments with dietetics. Gave me a very different view on some cores of his belief in Hinduism, without being a treatise for any particular religion. It probably wasn't easy being his wife!

A very strange read, if you were expecting an epic story of political strife, then look elsewhere. This is candid and very personal account of one of the most important and iconic individuals in Modern History. I would suggest that anyone seeking to discover, rediscover or expand on your knowledge of Gandhi to read this book. It will change your perceptions of this unique individual and will truly alter your opinion on Gandhi. I am still deciding whether he was a Politician, Saint, Fraud or deranged.

A good price and a good read, but the sheer number of errors is distracting. It could be so much better.

This book is an excellent and thought provoking read. Gandhi was truely a unique human being who stood up for what he held dear to him. The book provides the reader with an insight into how Gandi became this great leader and he also addressed his own misgivens particularily in relationship to his early marriage and his own journey into manhood.

The book arrived on time and I really enjoy reading it.

I really enjoyed the messages in this book about life and how to live a better more fulfilling life. However I have to admit I did struggle to get through the book as it never really gripped me and dragged me back in.