Jonathan Livingston Seagull

A novel by Richard Bach.

Various ISBN numbers beginning around 1970.

  ISBN 0380012863 
  ISBN 0855000015 
  ISBN 0684846845 

The allegorical story of a bird that loved to fly, endured exile from the flock because of it, and rose above rules and traditions to attain flying perfection, which knowledge he then passes on to those others willing to learn it.

  From the book:

"For most gulls it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight."

You could call it a book of "spiritual aviation" -- but you might scare off those who could benefit from its reduction of life's complexities to its simplicities. Another inept reference might be ExtremeFlyingForGulls?, but that just scares off a different crowd. It's just a story. It just led me to see things differently. It just changed my life. It's just a story.

There are many things this book is not. Perhaps that's why it's thin and light. It doesn't try to be AllThingsToAllPeople?; it does one thing really well. It gives you flight.

If you love what you do and find yourself worrying about whether you should be more cynical and "go for the money" then read the book. If you used to love what you do and find your crushed by worrying about the money, read the book.

Who knows, you could find that you can DoWhatYouLove?, LoveWhatYouDo? and GetaLife too.

The movie soundtrack is not bad either