My December Readings
There's no friend as loyal as the Book
- Ernst Hemingway
Ashutosh Salil & Barkha Mathur
Being the Change
Theme : Gandhism, Social Development
The Book Being the Change showcases the stories of those people who are actually living the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi in their lives. Gandhiji exhorted us all to Be the Change and the real characters in this collection are Being the Change themselves. Based on works done in rural hinterlands of Maharashtra, as doctor, environmental volunteer, panchayat leader etc, these stories are highly inspirational and noteworthy.
Learning : The path of Gandhian ideals of selfless service and devotion to ones ideals might be tough, but it is the righteous path. The ideas of Sarvodaya and Swarajya are not merely utopian, but can be brought to life with rigourous efforts. The book leaves you optimistic and inspired to walk through your own path and be the change in your own little way.
USP : Field stories of change, struggle and first hand accounts of the people
Girish Kuber
The Renaissance State
Theme : History, Regional Events of Maharashtra, Political and Social setup.
The Book The Renaissance State is an account of the Region of Maharashtra right from the ancient time of Satvahanas till the current mixed political setup. It explores the key historical events that led to the making of the state from the times of the legendary ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and the steep downfall there after. The state of Maratha Empire in times of Shivaji Maharaj and all its aspects are critically analysed in this book. Later on two chapters are dedicated to the leading figures of Maharashtra like Tilak, Ranade, Gokhale, Chiplunkar, Hedgewar, Ambedkar and many more. It is extraordinary to note, how Maharashtra was the land of so many different political beliefs. The idea of Marathi Manoos, pre and post Panipat are portrayed in detail.
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USP : Single point resource for getting a glimpse of the political past and present of Maharashtra. Writing is referenced with historical accounts and as a neutral commentary on the events.
David Epstein
Range
Theme : Importance of diverse experiences aka Range in Education, Training, Work and Career.
The Book Range is a thoroughly researched manuscript that underlines a single idea - Rather than obsessively focusing on a narrow topic, having broad interests brings out better creative achievements that cannot be attained by domain specific expertise alone. It challenges the idea of hyperspecialization and vouches that interdisciplinary exploration and exposure to different fields, provides us better tools to succeed. It encourages us to explore different subjects and fields in our lives based on our talents and interests and not settle merely for the sake of it. Through stories of Sports giants like Roger Federer and Tiger Woods as well as legends like Vincent Van Gogh and Mozart, the author tries to explain how the 'rage to master' is not an approach that fits all and hence expanding the range of learning is highly beneficial. Concepts like slow learning with desirable difficulties, blocked practise, interleaving, outside view etc are worth pondering upon.
Favourite Quote : "A Jack of All trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one"
"Success in the knowledge economy comes to those who know themselves, - their strengths, their values and how well they perform. "
"Good Judges are Good belief updaters"
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Lets use this space to discuss books, ideas and recommendations..! Happy Reading :)