Becoming Gandhi, Perry Garfinkel
Becoming Gandhi, Perry Garfinkel
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Becoming Gandhi
My Experiment Living the Mahatma's 6 Moral Truths in Immoral Times

Author: Perry Garfinkel

Narrator: Sean Pratt

Unabridged: 8 hr 48 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/30/2024


Synopsis

The fascinating quest of a New York Times contributor to follow Mahatma Gandhi’s code of ethics in modern times—and to discover what it actually takes to “Be the change you want to see in the world”

Mahatma Gandhi championed truth and nonviolence, led the struggle for India’s independence, and staunchly stood up for the marginalized. “When I despair,” he said, “I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won.”

In Becoming Gandhi, veteran journalist and author Perry Garfinkel sets out on a three-year quest to examine how Gandhi’s ideals have held up in a world beset by troubling trends. “As I saw myself and society moving further away from a moral point of view,” Garfinkel states, “I wanted to see if an ordinary person living in the 21st century could, like Gandhi, follow a morally driven game plan.”

While tracing Gandhi’s legacy through India, England, South Africa, and even American communities where his spirit endures, Garfinkel attempts to follow six of the key principles that guided the Mahatma’s life:

• Truth—Practicing honesty in thoughts, words, and actions in an increasingly artificial world
• Nonviolence—Choosing peace in our words, behavior, and even choice of entertainment
• Vegetarianism—The complex ethics of deciding what we put in our mouths
• Simplicity—How to find practical antidotes to conspicuous consumer culture
• Faith—Exploring the meaning of our lives and our relationship with what we cannot know
• Celibacy (wait, really?)—The search for a moral path between permissiveness and abstinence

To many, Gandhi was a beacon of hope; to others, a lightning rod for controversy. As Perry Garfinkel found, walking (and even stumbling) in Gandhi’s footsteps can reveal how we each have a role to play in creating a more compassionate, peaceful world. “Being Gandhi is unattainable,” Garfinkel observes. “But becoming more Gandhi-like will continue to engage me as long as I live. How about you?”

About Perry Garfinkel

Perry Garfinkel is a veteran journalist, editor, frequent speaker, and author of the bestselling Buddha or Bust. He has contributed to many sections of the New York Times since 1986 and has written for National Geographic magazine, the Los Angeles Times, the Huffington Post, and others. He has appeared on CNN and CBS This Morning. He is a frequent guest on WCBS-NY radio’s Health & Well-Being Report. For more, visit perrygarfinkel.com.

About Sean Pratt

Sean Pratt has been a working professional actor in theater, film, TV, and voice-overs for over 30 years. He holds a BFA in acting from Santa Fe University of Art and Design in New Mexico. He has narrated more than a thousand audiobooks.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Literary on December 14, 2025

The esteemed author commented with such kind insight on a LinkedIn post I wrote that I checked his bio to learn more and discovered his wise inspiring book, "Becoming Gandhi," a life-changing read! In our email exchanges, I found Perry -- author, journalist, regular New York Times contributor -- to b......more

Goodreads review by Nick on January 02, 2024

If you’re looking for a lighter read on the life of Gandhi and the history/applicability of his teachings, Perry Garfinkel’s book may be for you. I read Gandhi’s autobiography roughly a decade ago and thought it a bit dry, and in coming across “Becoming Gandhi,” I thought it’d be nice to take a more......more

Goodreads review by Bharath on November 11, 2023

When I came across this book, I found the concept fascinating. Perry Garfinkel decides to attempt living 6 key principles Mahatma Gandhi followed for at least a year or so. This is a very readable book, though considerable part of the book is context which would be very familiar to Indian readers. A......more

Goodreads review by Alyce on March 14, 2024

Funny, relevant, and very readable. Read it while waiting for medical appointments and it really helped me focus on something else and have a more positive attitude and experience. In full agreement with Perry on his assessment of the current world and I share his ideas regarding how to be the chang......more

Goodreads review by Linda on June 12, 2024

First 2/3 rds held the interest and provided quite a bit of information, went off rails last bit of book, found it hard to finish.......more