I - Reviewer!
To be honest, first up, I was a bit skeptical. And a bit nervous too. I had with me a copy of 'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self', an inspirational book (novella, perhaps, of 150 odd pages?) by Priya Kumar. I'm, in some way, wary of this genre of inspirational books - most of these just sound so preachy! This was my first exposure to the author; and first exposure to the concept of reviewing a book.
I now had three simultaneous tasks on my hands:
1: Read the book, understand the book, understandthe author and understand what it meant to me
2: Review the book
3: Remember to enjoy the book while balancing 1 and 2
Reasons enough to be nervous, I suppose!
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Possible Spoiler Alert
The book has a message - the hand-written foreword/note by Priya Kumar gives some insight too. It is the way the book sets about to tackle this message is what makes it interesting. The story revolves around the protagonist Arjun, who suffers a massive mid-life crisis - an unsatisfying job which pays decently, not many people who can be considered friends and to top it all the wife seeks separation. He also has exhausted the fuel in his car by the time we are midway through the first chapter.
What follows are a series of accidents and restorations - both physical and spiritual - where Arjun meets up with some uncanny and possibly unnerving characters who act as guides in Arjun's journey of self-discovery. The book - and Arjun - starts near Shimla and ends up in the Garhwal Himalayas at Hemkund Sahib, via a quick detour to the Valley Of Flowers.
The book is Arjun's journey. Through the journey it dwells on concepts and ideas like 'role of a friend', 'role of a guide', 'your understanding of your surroundings and its betterment', 'how to build your story around your lot of people' and most importantly 'the unwavering belief in oneself'. The concepts, ideas and their presentation take the reader on an intriguing journey. Yet, everything is easily relate-able at the same time.
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You Talk Too Much ...
This is my frustration with Arjun. Arjun is the narrator of this book - he's in the thick of all the action and story-telling that one sees in the book. Yet, one gets the feeling that Arjun is sitting somewhere in a house in Delhi narrating this story at a gathering of pre-teens. His narration is too superfluous - especially during high adrenaline sequences where one would expect a more crisp and concise writing. The editing table could probably have used a busier hand.
The role of Jay - a friend of Arjun's and a secondary character - seems to conflict the book a bit, considering that at least in Arjun's opinion Jay has everything sorted. The roles of the spiritual characters are etched with sheer perfection, giving an edge to the story. Chandu is a delight with strikingly balanced realist and spiritual sides. And who uses a Blackberry these days?
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Parting Shot
'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self' is a worthy read, especially for people who plan to rise up the corporate ladder. It gives a saner perspective to life - all that goes in to differentiating you from a good resource to a good person. For me, it comes at a time when I'm battling in a way to keep my aspirations afloat in a work environment where notions of professionalism and rationality have taken a backseat to patchwork engineering. I hope to work more effectively towards my calling too.
And by-the-way, when it comes to the workplace, everyone is replaceable! Enjoy!
Also, it takes long buddy!
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Details
'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self'
Author - Priya Kumar
Genre - Inspirational / Motivational
Published by - Books That Inspire
Contact - www.priya-kumar.com
Cost - INR299/-
-x-x-x-
© Parched For Rain
Note: Images in this post are not owned by me.
To be honest, first up, I was a bit skeptical. And a bit nervous too. I had with me a copy of 'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self', an inspirational book (novella, perhaps, of 150 odd pages?) by Priya Kumar. I'm, in some way, wary of this genre of inspirational books - most of these just sound so preachy! This was my first exposure to the author; and first exposure to the concept of reviewing a book.
The book cover ...
1: Read the book, understand the book, understandthe author and understand what it meant to me
2: Review the book
3: Remember to enjoy the book while balancing 1 and 2
Reasons enough to be nervous, I suppose!
-x-x-x-
Possible Spoiler Alert
The book has a message - the hand-written foreword/note by Priya Kumar gives some insight too. It is the way the book sets about to tackle this message is what makes it interesting. The story revolves around the protagonist Arjun, who suffers a massive mid-life crisis - an unsatisfying job which pays decently, not many people who can be considered friends and to top it all the wife seeks separation. He also has exhausted the fuel in his car by the time we are midway through the first chapter.
What follows are a series of accidents and restorations - both physical and spiritual - where Arjun meets up with some uncanny and possibly unnerving characters who act as guides in Arjun's journey of self-discovery. The book - and Arjun - starts near Shimla and ends up in the Garhwal Himalayas at Hemkund Sahib, via a quick detour to the Valley Of Flowers.
-x-x-x-
You Talk Too Much ...
This is my frustration with Arjun. Arjun is the narrator of this book - he's in the thick of all the action and story-telling that one sees in the book. Yet, one gets the feeling that Arjun is sitting somewhere in a house in Delhi narrating this story at a gathering of pre-teens. His narration is too superfluous - especially during high adrenaline sequences where one would expect a more crisp and concise writing. The editing table could probably have used a busier hand.
The role of Jay - a friend of Arjun's and a secondary character - seems to conflict the book a bit, considering that at least in Arjun's opinion Jay has everything sorted. The roles of the spiritual characters are etched with sheer perfection, giving an edge to the story. Chandu is a delight with strikingly balanced realist and spiritual sides. And who uses a Blackberry these days?
-x-x-x-
Parting Shot
'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self' is a worthy read, especially for people who plan to rise up the corporate ladder. It gives a saner perspective to life - all that goes in to differentiating you from a good resource to a good person. For me, it comes at a time when I'm battling in a way to keep my aspirations afloat in a work environment where notions of professionalism and rationality have taken a backseat to patchwork engineering. I hope to work more effectively towards my calling too.
And by-the-way, when it comes to the workplace, everyone is replaceable! Enjoy!
Also, it takes long buddy!
-x-x-x-
Details
'The Calling: Unleash Your True Self'
Author - Priya Kumar
Genre - Inspirational / Motivational
Published by - Books That Inspire
Contact - www.priya-kumar.com
Cost - INR299/-
-x-x-x-
© Parched For Rain
Note: Images in this post are not owned by me.
Great review
ReplyDeleteThanks Anupam :)
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