Of Problems and Improvements

"The first man to hurl an insult instead of a stone was the founder of civilization"

- Sigmund Freud

We live in an imperfect world. There's a lot of disease, poverty, apathy, desperation,blah blah blah. Each moment is a challenge, full of both opportunities and threats. It's easy to get overwhelmed, its really easy to just 'give up', to sit and crib about the system, to cultivate the feeling of despair and to adopt the "Chalta hai" attitude. This is what Stephen R Covey calls being 'reactive'. You see the circumstances around you and decide that things can't change. You look at the enormity of the task and give up, not realizing that smaller victories eventually lead to bigger ones.

A big country like India has innumerous problems. There is widespread corruption, lack of education, acute poverty, poor infrastructure etc. Caste, creed and religion, we are divided along all these lines. Its very frustrating to get anything done. Running around government offices, trying to find the person who can "do something" is a daunting task. It can break even the most resolute of spirits.

Even today, with the advent of modern technology and the widespread dissemination of information, people are hesitant to take up the war cry. They may share your statuses on facebook and '+1' them on google, but in the end, the people standing outside the CM's office will be those directly affected. Of course the opposition party might join them but often, this does more harm than good. Issues are politicized and taken out of context. The poor protesters find themselves not only fighting the government but also their so called supporters. Harassed and confused the protesters give up and join the already long list of cribbers.

Martin Niemoller  once wrote :

"

First they came for the communists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the socialists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for me,

and there was no one left to speak for me.

"

Internet activism has been a boon to all of us, but it has its limitations. People have to get out of their homes in order for things to really happen. So much can happen if all of us band together! This ad perfectly explains it :

Just being born in India doesn't make you an Indian. We need to earn this title and learn to be proud of it.

If you have any comments or suggestions, please post them below.

On a side note : I have reached the final round for TOI's I lead India campaign. Check out my profile here and vote for me if you think I am capable enough. You have to select 5 people and click on submit vote.
Thank you. Sudhanshu.

Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

She wanted to die, but she also wanted to live in Paris.

 

The quest to find love makes people do crazy things. Madame Bovary is the story of one such dreamer who spends her life searching for the passion, excitement and adventure she hears about in stories but which seems to be missing from her mundane everyday life.

Charles Bovary is a simple and unambitious doctor who prefers to live a peaceful domestic life. After the death of his first wife, Charles marries Emma Roualt. Emma spent her youth reading romantic novels and imagining herself to be the protagonist of all the great adventures in them. She dreams of living a rich, luxurious life in Paris. A simple, unambitious and average man like Charles doesn't satisfy Emma, who becomes disenchated with her marriage and sees it as constrictive and suffocating. Easy going charles doesn't realize his wife's unhappiness and assumes that a change of air could do her good. So he takes Emma and settles down in the larger town of Yonville. But the change of scenery doesn't do Emma much good and she continuous to feel unhappy and disappointed. When Rodolphe, a rich young man tries to seduce her, Emma falls pray to his charms. She begins an illicit affair with Rodolphe, believing herself to have found love at last. Unsuspecting Charles continues to pay for his wife's expenses , not realizing that Emma's using his money to cheat him. Things move fast and .... well, I will let you find that out for yourself.

This heady cocktail of love, lust and emotions is the basic plot of this classic novel. Madame Bovary is a book that will tug at your heart strings from all sides. Whether it be the desperate for love Emma, the clever Rodolphe or the simple doctor, every character manages to make an impression. The novel can be classified as a romantic tragedy that explores the relation between dreams and reality. I would highly recommend this to people who are unsatisfied with their stations in life or even worse, their life partners (look before you leap as they say :D).

 

Reasons to read:

• The novel makes a strong case for the need to be practical in life. Every character manages to destroy himself in trying to attain an unattainable goal.
• The detailed character description and the intricate plots keep you engrossed.
• One of the best romantic tragedy's, its a must read for fans of the genre.

Memorable Quotes:

“You forget everything. The hours slip by. You travel in your chair through centuries you seem seem to see before you, your thoughts are caught up in the story, dallying with the details or following the course of the plot, you enter into characters, so that it seems as if it were your own heart beating beneath their costumes.” 

"Never touch your idols: the gilding will stick to your fingers."

"An infinity of passion can be contained in one minute, like a crowd in a small space"

"Of all the icy blasts that blow on love, a request for money is the most chilling"

Why to Read?

In this age of movies and social networking, few people (if any) bother to read books/articles. Who has the time, they say. Who has the concentration and patience, I ask.

With the advent of Internet and the information overdose we all are faced with, most of us have developed techniques to skim through text and not 'waste time' reading worthless shit. However, this habit of skimming has reduced our attention span (so has our habit of messaging). When we read an entire article in a few seconds or we text multiple people at the same time, we believe we are saving time. Unfortunately, we are reducing our capacity for joy. How many of us can really understand Shakespeare any longer? How many can appreciate Wordsworth, Keats and Shelly?
The answer is few, if any. The reason is that a Keats cannot be skimmed through in one go, neither can Shakespeare be understood in one reading (except by another Shakespeare of course). Like jealous lovers, they demand your complete attention before they open up to you. Fickle minded us, can never get these pearls.

Schools and colleges are resembling factories more and more. Each pass out is only marginally different from the rest of his batchmates. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

So the next time you get yourself an A in class, think of the thousands of others classes in the millions of other districts , where people studying the same course as you, got an A. Would you still be proud? What makes you any different from all those other A's? If 17 problems of algebra are good enough to make you a master, what's the point of being one?

"That's all cool ya, but dafuq can I do about it? Kill the other A's? "

Umm, not really. There are ways to distinguish yourself without adopting such drastic measures. The easiest one of course is , read. Not by skimming hundreds of B grade articles on the net, but the good ones that you just CANNOT skim. Yeah, there are plenty of articles out there which will make you think. Yeah, you heard me. Think.

These are the kind of articles which are not often shared, which aren't posted on social networks because they are not 'easy reads'. They can belong to any category, to any niche. You need to find them and you need to read them. Why? Because you wish to distinguish yourself. Because they will change you, they will challenge you and they will make you grow.

Reading is an art that sharpens the mind. It gives you knowledge and knowledge gives you power,money, fame, life etc etc. It gives you a new way to look at things, it expands your horizons. Who knows, the next book you read might change the person you are, it might lead to a startup, an enterprise, an idea that might change the world? It might lead to an idea that changes your life. It might contain the answer to your problems.

Ps : Please do share any worthwhile articles you find as knowledge grows by sharing.

How to choose a good book

“A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone, if it is to keep its edge.” 

-George R.R Martin

There are literally hundreds of books out there and thousands of authors eager to express their views. It can be intimidating for a first timer to choose that 'perfect book', a book that hooks them to reading, a book that expands their horizons and is comprehensible. 

Today, I will write about the art of choosing a book. There are literally hundreds of articles on this and every other person will tell you something else about it, here's my two cents.

1) Friends & Acquaintances - Ask the people around you who read a lot (hint : they are the ones 'hanging out 'in libraries and book stores). They will suggest you exactly the right book, keeping in mind you level and your aim for reading.

2) Your interests -  Why do you want to read a book? Is it for fun or to learn? If you want to learn, then why a book instead of a blog/website? These questions, while simple, will greatly help you in narrowing down your search. Not all books talk about what you want. Many would talk about similar ideas, but only a few will deal with the exact topic.

3) Reviews - Book reviews and user ratings are a great way to find out more about any book. Also, while reading a review keep in mind the kind of person who wrote the review. A teenager might not highly rate a book which retirees would love. Search around a bit and you will find a good review by a person with similar thoughts as you. Heed this guy's advice.

Freakonomics – Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

“A rogue economist explores the hidden side of everything.”

Some books teach you how to think , others show you how its done. Freakonomics belongs to the second category,

Economics is a field long associated with money and its applications in the modern financial system. However, in this book Levitt proves how it's more than just crunching numbers. Levitt arrives at mind-boggling conclusions simply by analyzing data using established economical methods. I mean how can one quantify the role of parents in a child's life? How do you predict something about a person just knowing their name. There are dozens of books on this topic, but few (if any) support their hypothesis and conclusions in the way Freakonomics does.

The book has become a well deserved best-seller. For me this is more a book about greatness than about statistics or conclusions. Dr. Levitt proves that adage, “Winners don't do different things, they do things differently.” Applying an abstract field ( at least that's what I thought before reading this book) like economics to real life situations and coming up with mind blowing hypothesis's shows how greatness isn't limited by conventional boundaries. A great economist is as much a philosopher and a scientist as a number cruncher.

THE MONK WHO SOLD HIS FERRARI - Robin S. Sharma

"The book which changed a million lives"

Robin S. Sharma managed to pen down ancient Indian philosophy in this short and concise book, which was loved by readers the world over. This book is a huge success and it deserves it.

Through the voice of Julien Mantle, a hotshot lawyer turned enlightened saint, the books discusses the problems we face in our fast-paced lives. Julien talks about his old “successful life”, where he earned millions but was unhappy, unhealthy and stressed, with little time for friends and family (Strikes a chord? ). Then, he talks about his transformation and the various steps he followed to reinvent his life. He intersperses his philosophical talks with funny anecdotes and jokes and manages to keep both the reader and his friend interested.

In the genre of self-help books, this one would rank amongst the top ones for sure.

On a side note, those of you who have read or are about to read Ayn Rand, compare the interpretation of eastern philosophy by Rand to the one preached here. Does make an interesting study. Plus, it highlights the myopic view Ms. Rand had of the concept of altruism.

A lovely read (Article)

Hi! I have been busy recently and thus, haven't written any more reviews lately.
Will do so soon!

For the time being, this is an interesting article I read. Gives one food for thought. It talks about the stupidity of critically analyzing literary texts for they are meant to be felt by the heart, not dissected by the brain.

I agree wholeheartedly with what the writer says. Read it. And comment if in the mood to discuss. Keep reading!

Acre - George Johnson

“Genius is 1% talent and 99% percent hard work” 

This is a simple book, written straight from the heart. It tells the story of a talented baseball player's journey to success and the obstacles he faces along the way. It manages to interest and inspire its readers, most of whom, specially the baseball lovers, won't put it down without finishing it.

The author's love for baseball and his firm belief in working hard is apparent while reading this book. His protagonist, Acre, is superman in disguise (figuratively of course!). Acre works hard, stays disciplined and relentlessly pursues his dream of playing baseball. He keeps his promises, helps the poor, isn't greedy etc etc. Not sure if such a person could actually exist, but he is definitely the ideal we all unconsciously strive to achieve. His hard work and determination bring him the success he deserves but they also make the other players jealous of him. They taunt Acre, ignore him. With his professional career taking off, Acre is informed of the death of his sweetheart, Sharon. The way he deals with these issues and doesn't let them interfere with his career makes this book interesting and different from others in this genre. His father's penchant for tweaking and his creation of an unique baseball cage (the description's given in the book) is another interesting part of this story.

There are parts of this book that do seem repetitive and at times the story seems too slow. The various baseball statistics and plays simple went over my head* and I would have appreciated it if the author had, either provided more graphic descriptions or gone easy with the stats et al.Still the pros far outweigh the cons and I would suggest this book as a leisure read, specially to baseball fans and sports lovers around the world.

The Fountainhead - Ayn Rand

“To say "I love you" one must know first how to say the "I" ” 

A must read.

There are few books that force you to think hard about your life, your goals and the world around you. The Fountainhead definitely falls in this category.

This is a story about a talented architect, Howard Roark, who believes in himself and refuses to compromise with his work, refusing any sort of collaboration project and ignoring suggestions about his work. He believes that the end result of one man's effort can be used as a starting point by others but an idea that is formed by mixing together several ideas, isn't half as good as the original ones. His radical and uncompromising attitude causes Roark a lot of hardships, which he faces with the attitude of a stoic. At the same time, Gayle Wynand, a man just as talented and determined as Roark, publishes in his newspaper whatever the public wants to read. Unlike Roark, he doesn't believe in expressing himself through his work. So at one hand you have a media mogul, content to sit back and let people read what they want, not interested in sharing what he believes, only in making money and on the other, you have Roark, the man who believes in working for no one except himself and who won't do anything he doesn't like to do, no matter what the consequences. The contrast in the beliefs and the lives of these two individuals forms the basic plot for this novel.

You can't help but love both of them. Roark and Wynand seem like brothers who chose different paths in life and are now set for collision. Other characters like Toohey, Dominique and Peter will remind you of certain people around you. Remember the boy who wanted to be a painter but is studying science under family pressure? He's Peter Keating (or will be unless he changes his dreams or his profession). The confused boy who always does what others tell him to? He's a representative of the confused masses, lost and gullible.

The greatness of this book lies in the way it makes major philosophical commentaries, without being the least bit boring. Rand talks about the need for individualism and independence, she criticizes altruism and subsidies based on need, and she does all this with flair. As a reader, I never felt bored of this novel. Even during the philosophical parts of the text, my interest never waned. The examples given in the book, the situations created are all practical and while reading it, we are often reminded of real life incidences where these things do occur.

The Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger

“I'm quite illiterate, but I read a lot. ” 

Weird.

This word pretty much sums up this book. You often come across authors who attempt to write books on concrete events or topics but the resultant is nothing except trash. Their attempts to convey meaning fail and the readers are left confused. But what about an author who deliberately does this? Catcher in the Rye is one such book. It has no moral lessons to impart, no special experiences to thrill.

It is the story of a teenage boy,Holden Caulfield, who after being kicked out of school, decides to spend sometime in run down New York motels, before going back home to face his parents. He spends the next few days visiting bars, meeting old crushes and wondering about the motives of people around him. The story has no major twists and turns. A detailed narrative of Holden's simple(stupid?) adventures is all it tells. And yet, this is considered a literary classic by many (myself included). The reason? Because of the sheer difficulty of penning down accurately the thoughts and actions of a teenager. Teenage is a phase we all go through. Each of us has experienced the moments of self doubt, pity and confusion that Holden goes through. Most of us spend hours trying to find out what we really want in life, few of us succeed. In this book, the author captures the angst of Holden and his confusion beautifully. Holden's hate of movies, slobs, wars and almost everything that's fake is expressed in an interesting way.

This book is not for the rational people, the ones who believe every story must have a head and a tail. For this one doesn't. It's simply random thoughts penned down together to create a narrative. I thought it was easy to do it, till I tried it myself.

Reasons to read it:

• Reading about Holden's views and actions reminds one of our teenage. The period when people seem fake and all actions pointless, the time of wondering what we really want to do. Believe me, its fun.
• This is one book which all aspiring writers should read. Simple everyday events are always the toughest to describe and Salinger does this beautifully. You can learn a lot from him. 

We, the losers of the world

"You are never a loser until you quit trying"

-Mike Ditka

Loss is a funny thing. People celebrate victory, the winners are cheered and parties are thrown. Somehow, all of us forget the losers. The ones who were 'almost' the winners. It isn't as if they didn't work as hard or didn't deserve to win. It's just that on that particular day someone else won.

It is often said a cricket match, for example, has eleven winners and eleven losers. The winners are felicitated while the losers are ignored. However, I believe that each match has twenty two winners. The ones who win as well as the ones who gave their best to it. As long as someone doesn't quit, he hasn't lost. Anyone who falls but retains the courage to stand up and try again, is a winner. I know its hard to get back up. I know it's hard to look your family in the eye. But pain is the best of teachers. Each time you fail, you learn a new skill, gain a new experience.

I speak as the man who lost it all. The man who failed at all conceivable competitions and events. Failed in academics, failed in sports, failed in life. Its tough to live through life with a smile, when each and every moment, you are reminded of the dreams that were left unfulfilled and the only thing you feel is a big hole in your chest.

I came close to quitting once. It was the day I got my tenth board exam results. I had failed. Staring at the report card, all I felt was shock. I could feel my own heartbeat but I couldn't speak. I saw the disappointment in my mother's eyes and ran out of her room. I locked myself in my room and broke down. The tears wouldn't stop. All my thoughts, all my dreams started coming back to me. They seemed to mock me. Every failure and disappointment of my life, came to haunt me."You are a loser", they seemed to say. The moments I had spent in joy and happiness seemed undeserved, wasted. Who was I, a loser, to enjoy life? The man who can't pass his exams doesn't deserve happiness or joy. My entire existence seemed a mockery.

It would have been easy to quit. To admit my failure.To get the gun. But a part of me refused to give in. This was the part which believed in Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi. They were losers too, it said, but they didn't give in, they struggled on and they won. What do I have in common with them, I scoffed. Still, that part refused to quit. I was raged by turmoil.

Half my days was spent in contemplating suicide and the other half, wondering if I could ever recover from this loss. Over a period of several months, I became normal again, or as normal as I could be. The hole was still there, as was the pain. But I managed to make peace with myself. I realized I had nothing to lose. After all, I was at the bottom of the pyramid and so, I decided to try.

I still am at the bottom. But now, my eyes set on the top. I continue to try new things, continue to fail. Each failure brings its share of disappointments but each failure also teaches me, new things. I don't know if I will ever win, if I my dreams will ever come true. But I hope and I work.

Are you like me too? Then come, let's join hands and work together, to change the world. We, the losers of this world.

Have you failed in life too?

What was it that defeated you?

Are you the loser who lost his job?

Or the one who is afraid of the mob?

Come, O loser, take my hand,

Together, we can change this Land.

With our feet in the gutter and our eyes towards the sky,

The world will know us, the day we fly.

I, The Reader

“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies. The man who never reads lives only one."

- George R.R. Martin

I am a reader. I come from nowhere and everywhere.

From the streets of India, the meadows of France, the slums of Karachi and the craters of mars.

I am nobody and everybody. I am that poor beggar on the street, the grouchy lady beside your house. I am the sick man breathing his last, the lost girl desperate for help, the dreamer banished by society, the lover bound by tradition. I am all around you. I am you.

Each time I pick up a book, I become something different. A painter, a businessman, a monk, a dog, a cat and god knows what else. I have even been God. Each day, I live a different life and die a different death. Each day I gain new desires, new hopes, new fears and pleasures. I have felt the awkwardness of not belonging, the longing for love, the desperation of hunger and the pain of being hurt. I have had my bones broken, my dreams shattered. I have seen loved ones die, seen people change and yet, I have struggled on. I fought in the battle for Troy and have participated in Satyagraha. I have set up industries and factories ,and have worked in them for meager wages. Each life, I learned to be more than just me. I learned to be you, to be she,to be he. I learned to be us.

And this is why I understand you. Your hopes, your dreams, your fears. The expectations you have from society, the despair you feel at times. And this is why I promise you, I will be there. I will support you as a mother, a friend, a lover and a father. I will be the oppressor and the oppressed. All of it for you. I will give voice to your hopes, dispel your fears and help you stand in this world. I promise to stand beside you in your struggle, to guide you. I will teach you the lessons of my life, will encourage you to live them too.

Because then you will see, the similarities between the children in the States and the adults in Emirates. You wouldn't call one different from the other, instead would love them both as brothers. Start your journey today, my friend. Understand that all of us are the same, me and you, you and me, us.

Pick a book and live a life,

Today, I am Don Juan, will you be my wife?

 

Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Richard Bach

“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self"

This book is counted amongst the best spiritual and self-help classics of the previous century. You will find it quoted and referenced in many places, and this was the prime reason I picked up this book.

After reading it, I can say that it is a good read, not just due to the concise manner in which it deals with heavy topics like spirituality, individuality and dream chasing, but because the simplicity of language and allegorical references used, make it easy to forget that the story has a deeper meaning (whether this is a plus or a minus, I will let you judge for yourselves). While reading the story, I felt that at times, it was abrupt, concentrating more on the end results or teachings rather than providing actual justification or the rational behind the views given. Maybe a deeper discussion or justification of the ideas would have helped both the 'Breakfast flock' and the readers. Then again, as is often said, actions speak louder than birds*, the obvious happiness and greatness achieved by Jonathan Livingstone, can be a regarded as a more proper justification of his views, than any other.

The book tells the story of a misfit bird, Jonathan Livingston, whose sole goal in life is to fly faster and with more control. He stays away from his flock and concentrates all his energy on flying. Upset by his attitude and believing him to be wrong, the flock banishes Jonathan. Despite becoming an outcast, Jonathan sticks with his love of flying and keeps on practicing. His practice and perseverance are rewarded when he meets another flock of gulls, who love flying as much as he does and are willing to teach him. Under the guidance of his new teachers, Jonathan learns a lot about flying, life and spirituality, until he decides to spread the message amongst his old flock and leaves his new one to go back.

Animal farm - George Orwell

“All animals are equal , but some are more equal than others”

Some books win your heart simply by the simplicity of its language and the depth of the ideas they convey. For me , animal farm is one such book.

This book talks about animals living on a farm ( hence the name :P) and manges to allegorically convey the story of the Russian revolution and the reasons for its decay in an simplistic manner.Like the Russian revolution in 1918, the story starts off with the farm animals revolting against their greedy farmer, Mr Jones, and chasing him off the farm. Then, they establish a new estate based on the principle of equality for all animals. However, as history has often shown, things start going downhill, when the “brains of the revolution”, the pigs, start allocating more food for themselves. What starts off with more food, ends with the pigs living in houses and becoming increasingly autocratic. The other animals driven by their fear of the “humans” keep shut.

Why don't they raise their voice against the pigs? Why do they continue to work hard, despite living miserable lives? What makes them suffer the purges and “show trials” in silence? The reader feels amazed at their stupidity. Stupid animals,he thinks, anyone could have seen the truth. But then again , millions of us failed to too.

A revolution which starts off with the slogan “Four legs good, Two legs bad” ends up with the slogan “Four legs good, Two legs better”.

Reasons to Read it :

•  A masterpiece of allegory, read it, if only to be amazed and the imagination and creativity of its author.
• Its a short book and teaches its readers a lot about how politicians manipulate the public. Learn from it and avoid falling into the same trap.

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

"It is better to be feared than loved, if you cannot be both"

The Prince, is one of the most discussed political treatises in the world. It talks about the actions and methods a ruler must adopt in order to stay on his throne. Unlike various other works on the same topic, this book separates the practical aspect from the ethical ones. The author has no qualms advocating violence and treachery if the situation calls for it. Indeed, many of his recommendations seem cold hearted and calculating.
I like this book because of its brutal honesty. Machiavelli has no hesitations in calling a spade a spade. He creates a lot of scenarios which a ruler might face and proceeds to tackle each one of them. One might question his morality, but has to admire his understanding of statecraft.
Though the book was written two hundred years ago, its principles are just as true in the modern day world. Whether it be the employee looking for a promotion or the businessman seeking to outshine his competitors, Machiavelli's work can be adapted to a lot of situations. This book has inspired a whole genre of writing “The 48 Laws of Power” by Robert Greene seems an apt example.

Reasons to read it: 

• Wish to know why you missed that promotion or why your employees hate you? Read this book and draw parallels between the world of then and now. The times may have changed, but the factors influencing human decisions have remained much the same.
• He talks about whether a Prince should be generous or parsimonious,cruel or merciful etc are.He talks about the importance of keeping up appearances.The topics would make an interesting read for any employer. 
• Again the discussion on prudence of a prince and the care he takes in selecting in staff, is important for those who wish to hire. 

Memorable Quotes:

“If an injury has to be done to a man it should be so severe that his vengeance need not be feared.” 

“The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.” 

“…he who seeks to deceive will always find someone who will allow himself to be deceived.”  

“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.”

This book has often been criticized for being immoral.However, it is also true that many of our present day management gurus seem to be influenced by it. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in philosophy and management. Others can read its modern day adaptations, which discuss the same principles albeit in a toned down way.

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Oscar Wilde

“If a man were invincible, why would he act justly?”

- The Republic, Socrates. [Adapted]

All of us live dual lives. Many of our actions are done to please the society , to “fit in”. But what if we didn't have to? What if , we were blessed with a mask, that hid all our follies, no matter what?The picture of Dorian Gray , is the story of such a man.

On seeing a life-like portrait of his, Dorian, wishes to be young forever and wishes that his portrait grows older instead. His wish is granted and all of his actions(good or bad) leave him unspoiled and untainted. The world always sees his youthful and charming avatar . However, his debaucharies and misdeeds change his portrait , which becomes a mirror to his soul. How does a man deal with that? What does one do when the only one looking , is your own self?

While reading this book, I found myself admiring the subtlety of the author. The witty comments which Lord Henry makes on the subjects of hedonism,society and marriage made me laugh. At the same time, I couldn't help but wonder at the depth of the insight. What would I have done if I had been Dorian Gray? The greatness of the author lies in the way the story is presented and the fact that the reader is left to draw his own conclusions from it. The sarcastic commentry on victorian society makes the book a great read.

Key issues it deals with

• Is man an animal, tamed only by the laws of society? Or do we really have an inner conscience guiding us?
• Who is responsible for your actions? Was it the knife who killed the man or the hand which held the knife?
• Bad advice can destroy a man's life. However, even in such a situation, whose fault is it? The giver's or the taker's ?

Memorable Quotes 

“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”

"Humanity takes itself too seriously. It is the world's original sin. If the cave-man had known how to laugh, History would have been different."

“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.”

“Experience is merely the name men gave to their mistakes.”

Of the many books I have read, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is definitely amongst the best. Read it,if only, to laugh at Lord Henry's comments and admire their depth.

Train to Pakistan - Khushwant Singh

“I am the village badmash..... I do something and its always wrong”

I had heard a lot about this book. So I had a basic idea of the storyline and plot before I started reading it. Yet, while reading this book, at no point,did I feel it to be predictable or boring. The way it describes the pre-partition days, the impact of parition and its after-effects(which are left unstated mostly) kept me engrossed.

 Key Points:

• Reading this book made me realize the basic principle behind Gandhi ji's lines, “An eye for an eye,makes the whole world blind” Both the sides,Hindus and Muslims, justify their acts because the “other side is doing it too”. Neither of them takes responsibility for their own actions. This knee-jerk response from both sides leads to a lot of bloodshed.
• “Chaos is good, its fair”. The book makes a good case against it. As the Muslims evacuate their homes , the charge of their property is given over to the local goons “to protect till the rightful owners come back”. The unscrupulous and the greedy are the only ones who enjoy seeing the Muslims leave. 
• Actions speak louder than words. Education has a tendency to complicate simple things. What's obvious to the uneducated seems complicated to us. While the educated social worker,Iqbal sits and ponders over the point of self-sacrifice and Hukum Chand, the local magistrate, debates with himself the extent of his duties and responsibilities, the uneducated simpleton,Juggut Singh, faces no such doubts and worries. He does what needs to be done.

Reasons to read it:

• The India-Pakistan partition was a gruesome and painful affairs. By concentrating on the human element, the book shows how much damage was wrought in the span of a few days.
• The dilemmas faced by the various characters are beautifully described. A lot of people could have done things to stop the wrong doing. The reasons why they did not do it, the ways they might have justified their actions to themselves, all of it is described nicely.
• The simple manner in which such heavy topics are dealt with makes it a fun read.
• There's something in the simplicity of the characters which ensures that you won't forget the story anytime soon.

Memorable quotes:

“The point of sacrifice is the purpose. For the purpose, it is not enough that a thing is intrinsically good, it must be known to be good.”

“Freedom is for the educated people who fought for it. We were slaves of the English, now we will be slaves of the educated Indians - or the Pakistanis.” 

It's one of the best books I have read. Hope you enjoying reading it too.

Cheers.