Many of us are reluctant to take the initiative or even the slightest risk for the fear of losing.
Prof.Choudary asks such people- ’’Do we live expecting extremes to take care of our lives?? And then, expect success to be with us too??’’
’’And hence, ’’ he says, ’’one should be daring enough to ’count one’s chicks before they hatch’.Only then will we take great care so that the maximum number of eggs hatch.’’
’ A great insight!
’’People with passion always tend to be innovative and effective. These
people are self-motivated. For them, the work is goal oriented- they will
invent a new method that will work best if the usual technical method does
not work with them. They are always active and restless. They are pioneers
and adventurers............................
......................And great passions defy destiny.’’
’’It is that many of the people with definitely better IQ would falter when
it comes to their PQ- Passion Quotient. I feel, There is a big difference
between people who just work effectively and people who work passionately.’’
’ A great analysis!
’’It is about being blind since birth and yet having the conviction that you can make it and becoming a Stevie wonder. It is about being deaf and
composing some of the best and profoundest music ever like Beethoven did. It
is about not only being blind and deaf, but also being dumb and becoming a
Helen Keller. ’’
’’Just stretch and put in that extra bit to achieve goals.’’
’ A great motivation!
But, stop!!!!
The great grip slackens here.
The rest of the book isn’t as worthy as it’s first 40 pages.
The motivation the book gives is good in these 40 pages. It sites some great ( and
inspirational) examples, quotes and excerpts (including the Beethoven and
Hellen Keller stuff I keyed in above-- you’ll enjoy it more if u really know
about this people which I suggest).
The book gives additional good advice on the effect of ’good reading’ which, I feel is very essential for today’s man.
Says Prof.Choudary--’’Whenever I have felt helpless about not being able to interact with a great personality in person, I have managed to fill in that
vaccuum by reading about that person.’’
And one quote goes thus:
’’Here I lie in my final condition
And let it be said that I tested tradition.’’--
emphasising that leaders are those who are always out of step with others.
But, as I said, the pace ’n grip slackens here. I’ll be precise and brief in my criticism.
- First is that it’s an advertising material for ’IIPM’ which actually is not
as creamy as it is pictured to be.
Then- it boasts much about Arindham, his organisation and his circle.
Later-The book isn’t the true mark of a professional. To much matter in the brackets and informal remarks with biased statements mark this comment of mine.
The title of the book is related to only the first part of the book.Only the best part of the book is chosen as the title to make it sell.
The ’paradigm shift’ and the ’making and retaining friends’ talked about is from Carnegie’s ’’How to win friends & influence people ’’ and Steven Covey’s ’’Seven Habits of........’’ All this unprofessional stuff could have been overcome had there been proper passion and sincerity in his writing. The passion and sincerity sticks only to the first part of the book. It is not maintained- it’s in
waves.
- Penultimately, Many of the theories stated are from basic management courses in our colleges. It doesn’t stick to one line of thought and the latter part of the book is very shallow and is not compact.
The India centric management theory and the stress on corporate responsibilities depicts good ides and thought. But, it is squandered away by loose narration and incompact packing.There is no continuity between the parts of the book.
Repetition is fine-it helps make the matter stick to the walls of our grey cells. But, what’s used here isn’t repetition.
Worst of all, Indians are degraded. It might be true to an extent, but, it should have been put in a better package or Arindham should have written this book after doing something or the other for India. Don’t say he hasn’t had the chance- he is already 30 and he has the required education and money.
And ha! I forgot-- it talks more than what is necessary about Bhagavadgita, Dharma and Karma stuff. Not to forget the Vedas and the Upanishads! Certainly not what is claimed on the covers.
Over all the book is worth the first 40 pages and the occasional glimpses of a genius. We can spend the dosh for these readily.
And as I always say, no book has cons. It’s just that we have to read them the way we have to. It all depends on what we absorb and what we leave out.Be a forage sponge (selectively absorb matter) with this book. Just absorb the parts I talked about and it will be worthwhile and effective.
This book will be more fruitful if we use our thought process while reading it.
And now a new book ’’The Great Indian Dream’’ (McMillian publishers)is out by the same author and his colleague at IIPM. It’s marketers are trying to create the same hype as they had created for CYCBTH. The ads claim that this book is by the ’’author of the #1 bestseller CYCBTH’’ and that ’’it is a must read for every Indian.’’ It punch line goes something like
’’A great nation...1 billion people...30 million gods.... countless tycoons ...... and still doomed!’’
Let’s see how this turns out to be!
Update on 2nd Nov, 2003:
I just read a quote by Henry David Thoureau today and I found it apt to the book of Prof.Arindam-
’’How foolish it is to sit down to write when you couldn’t stand up to live.’’
---Prof.Arindam, this is for criticising your fellow Indians without yourself implementing what you say.