The Story of My Experiments with Truth

The Story of My Experiments with Truth
Cover page of 1993 reprint by Beacon Press.
Author(s)	Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Mahadev Desai (1892-1924)
Original title	સત્યના પ્રયોગો અથવા આત્મકથા
Translator	Mahadev Desai
Country	India
Language	Gujarati
Series	None
ISBN	India - ISBN 81-7229-008-X United States - authorized edition with forward by Sissela Bok, Beacon Press 1993 reprint: ISBN 0-8070-5909-9 Dover Publications 1983 reprint of 1948 Public Affairs Press edition: ISBN 0-486-24593-4

The Story of My Experiments with Truth (Gujarātī: સત્યના પ્રયોગો અથવા આત્મકથા) is the autobiography of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, covering his life from early childhood through to 1920. It was initiated at the insistence of Swami Anand and other close co-workers of Gandhi, for him to explain the background of his public campaigns. In 1999, the book was designated as one of the "100 Most Important Spiritual Books of the 20th Century" by HarperCollins publishers.^[1]

Influences

Gandhi wrote in his autobiography that the three most important modern influences in his life were Leo Tolstoy's The Kingdom of God Is Within You, John Ruskin's Unto This Last and the poet Shrimad Rajchandra (Raychandbhai)^[2].

First publication and Later editions

After its initiation, "The Story of My Experiments with Truth" remained in the making for 4–5 years (including the time while Gandhi was imprisoned at Yeravda near Pune, Maharastra), and then it first appeared as a series in the weekly Gujarati magazine Navjivan during 1925-28 which was published from Ahmedabad, India.

Reviews

Some critics have suggested that Gandhi has assumed the basic knowledge of the events and socio-political situation of India during late 19th – early 20th century on the reader's part. It may be advisable to supplement the reading with other (recent) authors like Yogesh Chadha (Gandhi: A Life) who could help provide the background information and insight of that era.

Book Reviews

• Amazon.com: Customer Reviews
• Development in Action (UK): Book Review by Joni Hillman

• South Asian Women's Forum: Book Review

References

1. ^ "100 Best Spiritual Books of the Century". http://www.faithalivebooks.com/collections/harper_100_best.html. Retrieved 2008 August 19. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ Mohandas K. Gandhi (1929). The Story of My Experiments with Truth. http://www.nalanda.nitc.ac.in/resources/english/etext-project/Biography/gandhi/part2.chapter1.html. 

Editions in print

• India - ISBN 81-7229-008-X
• United States - authorized edition with forward by Sissela Bok, Beacon Press 1993 reprint: ISBN 0-8070-5909-9
• Dover Publications 1983 reprint of 1948 Public Affairs Press edition: ISBN 0-486-24593-4
• Gandhiana.org: My Experiments with Truth (Paperback)^{[dead link]}

Online editions

• Story of My Experiments with Truth - Google books
• NIT, Calicut: Nalanda Digital Lib.
• An Autobiography or The Story of my Experiments with Truth, full text