I happened to pick this book on a recent visit to the Fountain area. The name was intriguing yet explaining it all. Winners never Cheatby Jon M. Huntsman. Being a fan of those ethical brigades, I convinced myself to buy it. A decision I will never regret.
Winners never Cheat is a light jab at the ribs of the materialistic mind. The simplicity of its language makes the book a dream to read for anyone. It does not take refuge of high-end ’angreji’ to convey its simple message.
Each chapter has a direction that explains why ethics and values in our lives are so important. Each direction has a quotation from a famous source summing the message in a nice way and preparing the reader for what to expect from that particular chapter.
The author explains that life, as we know it, on our Terra has become so complicated. We, as children had simple lives with simple goals. And all our actions were dictated by simple rules. Be nice, don’t tell lies, don’t steal, share with others, be honest and don’t cheat.
As we grow into adulthood these rules take a backseat while greed drives us till we meet our ends. Greed for money, greed for power, GREED FOR MORE. It is this greed that makes us think that if we do not accumulate everything for ourselves right now, someone else will take it before we do! The feeling of insecurity over-shadows our principles of sharing and compassion.
Movies like Munnabhai, Pursuit of happiness, Holy man and Seven Pounds with their ’be good’ messages will never fail to evoke emotions of compassion only because they already exist deep within.
Although movies and books of hope and happiness stir this be-good-feeling in our hearts, it will take much to clean. In this cosmetic and material world we definitely need a wake-up call every now and then. This book does exactly that.