A book of brilliance, this self- help non-fiction piece is like a guide book that is handy, catchy and all things inspiring. The book goes by the tag line: Read. Relate. Realize. Recreate. This explains its central idea that is about bringing change for oneself in order to bring about change for everyone around. This change is a step towards positivity and creativity. The change is a long term commitment to not only alter the social set up but also maintain the new alterations in order to ensure long term success in working towards a unified goal of social development and collective well- being. This is based on the idea that charity begins at home and it is with the transformation of the self that the social transformation can take place. The book cover is rather bland but that enhances the focus on the content which is strong and has a lot of important pointers that need to be kept in mind, reflected over and imbibed in daily life for human betterment. At 135 pages, the book is a rather short read and will leave readers feeling sad that it is over too soon. The book claims to be quoted for a billion people to realise the core values of life and it is this realisation that is important to become good human beings. The book provides a collection of awe inspiring and spirit lifting quotes while also mentioning how to go about the reading process to assist readers in churning out the most out of this book. The book can be read in any manner and in any sort of order as wished for. However, the author mentions that the first was to read this book is to simply read and understand and the next is to read and reflect by imagining and realising the issues and themes discussed which is the stronger manner of reading. This guides readers to apply and practically think about the quotes provided that they maintain the disclaimer given which is to be honest with their own selves and ensure that they do not deviate from the path of honest self -reflection. Another method is to make notes on the given quotes. This makes the book a sort of work book that is to be paused at every other juncture and the ideas are to be thought through with utmost care and concern. This makes the book a serious read and the content is not to be taken lightly as just a bunch of quotes that have been collected by someone who enjoys giving advice to others. Rather, the originality, the depth and the passion for life and life forms is what makes these quotes unique. This is seen in the contents page that goes by the heading ‘Topics of Life.’ This is followed by the different chapters that provide the quotes which are titled Acceptance, Belief, Attitude, Faith, Failure and so on. All these are arranged in an alphabetical order. While most of the quotes are mesmerising, full of reality and encase the core values of humanity and the humane in every individual, these quotes also reflect on the need for bringing about positive change through hard work and inculcating strong values that are universal. Some quotes are short while others are lengthier but all quotes are equally interesting, inspiring and charming. This is noted in the idea of seeing the positive side of life at all times. For example: “Spend some time alone because how much valuable is this life, you will realize when you are alone.” Some quotes are startling as they rattle the inner conscience and help readers to understand who they are and who they need to become. This is helpful particularly as there is a lot of confusion regarding the individual identity in the modern fast paced world. This is noted in a quote like: “Trying to become like others may also change your character.” The writing style is simple and easy to follow. The vocabulary is easy and there is seldom any use of very difficult words that can cause any difficulty in the reader’s mind and hence, it makes for a smooth reading experience. All quotes only speak the truth whether or not that is what the reader wants to hear. It is this courage to speak boldly the truthful aspects of knowledge that makes this book reliable and relatable. This is noted in the quote: “Enjoyment is wrong if you are doing wrong things for enjoyment.” There is no extreme ideas or views in this book. The book maintains a balance in terms of expression and content and there is moderation that is practiced in everything. The concluding idea imparted by the book is bound to leave readers ecstatic and impressed as it says: “Every realisation is your recreation.” It is towards this end that the quotes help readers on good and bad days alike and serve a humanitarian cause of ensuring the betterment of society through one individual at a time.
Reviewed By: Tasnima Yasmin
