Life Mantras!! (Book Review)

As I sit myself down to write about this book as a part of a commissioned review exercise, it is not easy to remark on the overall, on what it could be and what it is not. On one hand, the title and the back cover had promised what could have been an inspiring set of life values that one may learn from a journey that, though tainted, has seemingly been quite a journey of someone who tried. However on the other, as much as you delve into its pages, what it seemed to reek off is what you hear the god-men or the astrologers often say to you in lieu of some dough, any time, any day.

As the contents’ table ran into a good eight page of tightly fitted in texts, I found it difficult to decipher how the ideas and principles whatsoever have been arranged and made to flow. As I started turning the pages, it proved me correct with its rather incoherent flow of topics.

The style of writing more belongs to the journal genre, and it seemed that the flow of daily scribbles were later fitted into chapter and essay form which perhaps explains the lack of flow of the content. But I can give it to the first time writer as long as the content would at least partly make up for it.

As far as the content goes, it looked all in all like a set of answers to some imaginary journalist’s interview questions which the celebrity yet much defamed interviewee had decided to dodge with apparently spiritual and “oh-look-at-the-design-of-the-Universe!” bewildering stances that at least helped him shelter. He discusses his personal beliefs and practices, which of course he is very much entitled to because foremost it is his book. But then, as much as he can do so because he believes in stones and palmistry, it is difficult to get anything across the pages upto the reader because the explanations and ideas lacked both conviction of logic as well as philosophical support. It was a rather lame try to avoid confronting the essential questions a reader may have from the very fact of who he is and how he has traveled. I had expected a rich, confessional travelogue with life philosophies as were truly learned, but instead what I found was very… compromising and closed.

Having read quite a few books on the subject of personal faith, spirituality ad the one-ness of the Universe, this book came to me as a poor mimicry of what could have otherwise been an honest, read-worthy account of a human journey. Every human journey I believe has things to learn for, be it either in success or in its trials. But then, it’d only be possible if it is put ahead in transparency and humility. This book grossly failed on the account of the reality of it all.

I’d rate this book a 2 in a 5-point scale.