Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Author: Richard Bach

Publication: Avon Books

Jonathan Livingston Seagull is a little book about a seagull learning about life and flight, and doubling up as a self-help book, educating us about self satisfaction and self sacrifice. It is, in a few words, a story about a seagull discovering how to fly. The book was first published in 1970 as 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull - A Story'. The inspiration behind it was a brainstorming pilot in 1920's and 1930's, John H. Livingston.

Here, Jonathan is a seagull with a passion for flying, but his flying is frowned upon by the elders who did not value passion. They consider food as the thing they live and die for and believed in the supreme inexistance of any other purpose in life. But Jon, extricate from his lot, practices flying, purely for the pure enjoyment of it, and in the process learns a great deal. He soon finds a new level of existence for birds such as himself.

Although this is a simple story, it has a lot of values and a great meaning, beautifully enclosed in its little pages. The book gives us lessons on how to live in the present and how important passion is to anyone who wishes to be truely alive. The world is ambitless, that is why the author says, "No limitations, Jonathan." This is a fable about seeking a higher purpose in life, even if your flock, clan or neighbourhood finds your ambition threatning. It teaches that if we succeed, the success is ours and if at all we fail, the the failure is also ours, others are only there to guide or misguide.

This an extremely engaging book and the writer's words have put virtually real life in the protagonist portrayal. Jon's 'never say die' attitude makes him the ultimate invincible hero of the book and leaves the readers enthralled.