How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - A Book Review

"There's far more information in a Smile than a frown. That's why encouragement is a much more effective teaching device than punishment."

Introduction:
GENRE: Fiction
AUTHOR: Dale Carnegie
PAGES: 278
YEAR OF PUBLISH: 1936

Dale Carnegie is an American writer, lecturer, and the developer of famous courses in self-improvement, salesmanship, corporate training, public speaking, and interpersonal skills. Dale Carnegie was a poor farmer's boy and the second son of James William Carnegey and Amanda Elizabeth Harbinson. He was born in 1888 in Maryville, Missouri. His first job after college was to sell Correspondence courses to ranchers after which he moved on to selling bacon, lard and soap for Armour & Company. He soon started teaching a course in public speaking and how to influence people which became quite popular seeing hundreds of thousands of people seeking the course. This was simply because at that point in time there were philosophies but no concrete & practical methodologies which were taught.

The book is written in straight forward Chapter by Chapter format, each chapter comprising of one principle followed by real world examples of its implementation by - well known figures to people in normal corporate jobs taking the course. The prose of the book is quite simple to understand, and though the book was written in 1932, the principles are still as valid in the present time as they were in 1932. This could be attributed to the fact that human response or behaviour remains the same when subjected to certain conditions.

Principles:

The book is divided into four parts containing four different categories, each in-turn containing various principles about it. These are as follow:

Part One: Fundamental Techniques in Handling People
1. "If you want to gather honey, don't kick over the beehive"
2. "The Big Secret of dealing with People"
3. ""He who can do this has the whole world with Him. He who cannot walks a lonely way"

Part Two: Six ways to make people like you
1. Do this and you'll be welcome anywhere
2. A Simple way to make a good first impression
3. If you don't do this, you are headed for trouble
4. An easy way to become a good conversationalist
5. How to interest people
6. How to make people like you Instantly

Part Three: How to win people to your way of thinking
1. You Can't Win an argument
2. A sure way of making Enemies - and how to avoid it
3. If you're wrong, admit it
4. A drop of honey
5. The secret of Socrates
6. The safety valve in Handling complaints
7. How to get cooperation
8. A formula that will work wonders for you
9. What everybody wants
10. An appeal that everybody likes
11. The movies do it. TV does it. Why don't you do it?
12. When nothing else works, try this

Part Four: Be a Leader: How to change people without giving offence or arousing resentment
1. If you must find fault, this is the way to begin
2. How to criticise - and not be hated for it
3. Talk about your own mistakes first
4. No one likes to take orders
5. Let the other person Save face
6. How to spur people on to Success
7. Give a dog a Good name
8. Make the fault seem easy to Correct
9. Making people glad to do what you want.

Most of the above principles written are kind of self-explanatory. However, Dale Carnegie iterates and re-iterates it in the book that these principles will not work if you wish to manipulate people. Only genuine interest works. This is because most of us can understand quite well when we are receiving false compliments. For "Of Course Flattery seldom works with discerning people. It is shallow, selfish and insincere. It ought to fail and it usually does. True, some people are so hungry, so thirsty, for appreciation that they will swallow anything, just as a starving man will eat grass and fish worms." Thus, in order to master these principles, one has to take the first step and be genuine and take an interest in other people. After all, that is the whole purpose of taking this course. Nothing appears magically and the only thing people are really interested in are themselves; it is the basic human behaviour.

Let me re-iterate this with an excerpt of the book giving an example:

"Look at the letters that come across your desk tomorrow morning," (emails, in the present context) "and you will find that most of them violate this important canon of common sense. Take this one, a letter written by the head of the radio department of an advertising agency with offices scattered across the continent. This letter was sent to the managers of local radio stations throughout the country. (I have set down, in brackets, my reactions to each paragraph.)

Mr. John Blank,
Blankville,
Indiana

Dear Mr. Blank:

The.company desires to retain its position in advertising agency leadership in the radio field.

[Who cares what your company desires? I am worried about my own problems. The bank is foreclosing the mortage on my house, the bugs are destroying the hollyhocks, the stock market tumbled yesterday. I missed the eight-fifteen this morning, I wasn't invited to the Jones's dance last night, the doctor tells me I have high blood pressure and neuritis and dandruff. And then what happens? I come down to the office this morning worried, open my mail and here is some little whippersnapper off in New York yapping about what his company wants. Bah! If he only realized what sort of impression his letter makes, he would get out of the advertising business and start manufacturing sheep dip.]

This agency's national advertising accounts were the bulwark of the network. Our subsequent clearances of station time have kept us at the top of agencies year after year.

[You are big and rich and right at the top, are you? So what? I don't give two whoops in Hades if you are as big as General Motors and General Electric and the General Staff of the U.S. Army all combined. If you had as much sense as a half-witted hummingbird, you would realize that I am interested in how big I am - not how big you are. All this talk about your enormous success makes me feel small and unimportant.]

We desire to service our accounts with the last word on radio station information.

[You desire! You desire. You unmitigated ass. I'm not interested in what you desire or what the President of the United States desires. Let me tell you once and for all that I am interested in what I desire - and you haven't said a word about that yet in this absurd letter of yours .]

Will you, therefore, put the.company on your preferred list for weekly station information - every single detail that will be useful to an agency in intelligently booking time.

["Preferred list." You have your nerve! You make me feel insignificant by your big talk about your company - nd then you ask me to put you on a "preferred" list, and you don't even say "please" when you ask it.]

A prompt acknowledgment of this letter, giving us your latest "doings," will be mutually helpful.

[You fool! You mail me a cheap form letter - a letter scattered far and wide like the autumn leaves - and you have the gall to ask me, when I am worried about the mortgage and the hollyhocks and my blood pressure, to sit down and dictate a personal note acknowledging your form letter - and you ask me to do it "promptly." What do you mean, "promptly"? Don't you know I am just as busy as you are - or, at least, I like to think I am. And while we are on the subject, who gave you the lordly right to order me around? ... You say it will be "mutually helpful." At last, at last, you have begun to see my viewpoint. But you are vague about how it will be to my advantage.]

Very truly yours,
John Doe
Manager Radio Department
P.S. The enclosed reprint from the Blankville Journal will be of interest to you, and you may want to broadcast it over your station.

[Finally, down here in the postscript, you mention something that may help me solve one of my problems. Why didn't you begin your letter with - but what's the use? Any advertising man who is guilty of perpetrating such drivel as you have sent me has something wrong with his medulla oblongata. You don't need a letter giving our latest doings. What you need is a quart of iodine in your thyroid gland.]

Now, if people who devote their lives to advertising and who pose as experts in the art of influencing people to buy - if they write a letter like that, what can we expect from the butcher and baker or the auto mechanic?"

Isn't that how we all think when we open our laptops and access our daily work emails? Let's be honest, we are all thinking along these lines - when we get our company's newsletters telling about how big they have become or they got the advertisement on Times square or how they got a new website up and running, and so on and so forth. And can you see what mistakes the companies are making in those newsletters or emails? I think it's self evident.

You have to take interest in people. Period. You have to talk about what they want, and not what you want - a mistake fatal to a Sales person's career. There are various principles that are talked about in the book but this is what forms the core of those principles to apply. These were followed by Lincoln to Rockefeller to any great man you know. These are being followed by the successful entrepreneur you see or even by a normal person in your office who have made great progress in his career of which you're so jealous of.

Conclusion:

Talking to the point, the book is worth reading. For everyone who are willing to make a change in their life, this book is worth its salt. The style of writing is simple and easy to understand to an average or even a new reader and the principles very practical. As they have stated in the book, you can read and re-read each chapter and can treat this book as a working handbook; or as they have stated in the book:

In order to get the most out of this book:
a. Develop a deep, driving desire to master the principles of human relations,
b. Read each chapter twice before going on to the next one.
c. As you read, stop frequently to ask yourself how you can apply each suggestion.
d. Underscore each important idea.
e. Review this book each month.
f. Apply these principles at every opportunity. Use this volume as a working handbook to help you solve your daily problems.
g. Make a lively game out of your learning by offering some friend a dime or a dollar every time he or she catches you violating one of these principles.
h. Check up each week on the progress you are making. Ask yourself what mistakes you have made, what improvement, what lessons you have learned for the future.
i. Keep notes in the back of this book showing how and when you have applied these principles.

I highly recommend this book. A Timeless bestseller indeed!

You can also read a short version of this review on Blogger.

अभिमन्यु

वीरता के जो होते मिसाल हैं,
स्वार्थ, लोभ दुर्गुणों से अधिक विशाल हैं,
दुर्घटनाओं में न वे मुरझाते हैं,
कठिनाइयों को हंस कर गले लगाते हैं।

वीरता भी कई प्रकार की होती है,
जैसे सागर में असंख्य मोती हैं,
वे संसार भर में पूजे जाते हैं,
समाज के आदर्श कहलाए जाते हैं।

एक उदाहरण लोकप्रिय वह सही,
द्वापर की वह कथा कही-सुनी।
साहस की जो पराकाष्ठा है,
जो स्वयं आदि वीरों की महत्वाकांक्षा है।

जो खुद को बलिदान कर सकते हैं,
सब उन पर अभिमान कर सकते हैं,
जान हथेली पर रखकर
न्योछावर खुद को कर्तव्य पर कर,
जीवन की चिंता उन्हें नहीं होती है,
देख शत्रुओं की आँखें विस्मित होती है।

उस काल विपत्ति अत्यंत विशाल,
न रहता युधिष्ठिर के सर पर ताज।
क्या होता अगर मुकरता वीर वह,
लगता अगर परिणाम का भय?

पांडव न कभी विजयी होते,
आजीवन फिर किसी वन में सोते।
द्रौपदी कौरवों की दासी होती,
खुले केश लिए मुक्ति की अभिलाषी होती।
भीम की शपथ न पूरी होती,
अन्याय की न्याय पर विजय होती।
फिर चाहे कवच-कुंडल इंद्र मांग लाते,
या श्रीकृष्ण विश्वरूप दिखलाते।
यह परिणाम होता मगर जब,
अधर्म को अभिमान होता सहर्ष तब।

इस विश्व का वह रूप विशाल,
केशव के स्वरूप का सुक्ष्म भाग,
जन्म लेते कई वीर यहां,
कर्मों से विश्वगुरु कहलाते हैं,
सीधे बैकुंठ धाम को पाते हैं।

आखिर कूद पड़ा वह रण में जा कर,
विजय-पराजय की चिंता न कर,
आवश्यक हो गया जान गंवाने को,
अपनी सेना विनाश से बचाने को,
पांडवों को जीत दिलाने को,
अधर्म पर धर्म की विजय पाने को।

इतना अभिमन्यु को बोध था,
बाकी योद्धाओं के मुकाबले
भले ही बालक वह अबोध था -
की जब अपनों के साथ बेइमानी होती है
हार पर विजय पानी होती है
परिजनों को जीत दिलानी होती है
अधर्म की जड़ें काटनी होती है
जब प्रभु की बात सार्थक होनी होती है -
तब अपने प्राणों को शस्त्रों में भरकर,
कर्म की वेदी पर सर रखकर
समर-कुंड में शौर्य-भाव की ज्वाला जल रही होती है,
धर्म रक्षा के लिए खुद की आहुति देनी होती है।

कूद पड़ा वह वीर योद्धा बड़े विकट उस जाल में,
वह 'चक्रव्यूह' कौरवों ने बिछाया विध्वंस के खयाल से।
चक्रव्यूह की रचना को तोड़ उसे अंदर जाना आता था,
मगर नहीं बतलाया मुक्त हो बाहर न आ पाता था।
कर्तव्य की वेदी पर शीश कटाना स्वीकार था,
धर्म की रक्षा हेतु लड़ना उसका अधिकार था।

क्या होता अगर मना कर जाता वीर वह,
हाथ जोड़ कह जाता "हिंसा नहीं करूंगा यह"?
या कह देता की उसका कोई सरोकार नहीं,
"गुण-अवगुण, धर्म-अधर्म, सम्मान-अपमान, अधिकार-अत्याचार आदि -
सब तुम्हारे, पर मेरे लिए ये सब साकार नहीं"?
धर्म हेतु लड़ने को उत्पीड़न नहीं कहते हैं,
आत्मरक्षा और सम्मान के लिए शस्त्र उठाना -
विधिमान्य है, आतंक न इसको कहते हैं।
वर्षों के अत्याचारियों को भुगतना ही पड़ता है,
सर्पों के विषैले फन को कुचलना ही पड़ता है।

आहुत हुआ वह वीर समर में,
वह समय भी आया था,
हर नियम को तोड़ युद्ध के
महारथियों का मन बालक की हत्या से हर्षाया था।
पश्चात इसके, युद्ध क्षेत्र में हर नियम टूटे थे,
दोनो पक्षों के तीखे बाण,
अब रात्रि में भी छूटे थे।
अधर्म के साथ युद्ध में हर कायदा छोड़ना पड़ता है,
लोहे को आखिरकार, लोहे से ही काटना पड़ता है।

सत्य को सर्वोपरि रखने त्रेता में श्रीराम थे,
और धर्म की स्थापना करने द्वापर में घनश्याम थे।
त्रेता में प्रभु ने स्वयं समस्त राज्य छोड़ दिया,
और महाभारत के रण ने अधर्म का रथ तोड़ दिया,
अनेक योद्धाओं ने इस युद्ध में जगत को आदर्श दिया,
मगर अभिमन्यु का कुरुक्षेत्र में ही वह बलिदान था
जिसने युद्ध की दिशा को धर्म के पक्ष मोड़ दिया।

A Thing called Hope

Those times of chaos, when, your mind's berated.
That wilderness grows, overpowering,
You venture about, lost, misdirected,
Deeper in the woods;
Deeper! Steeper!

But beware, the deeper you go,
more the light fades
and the gloom transcends,
from that foreboding moderate,
to the despondent melancholy.
The fire foes out,
the ashes remain, smouldering.

But fear not, O' brave heart,
the ashes will smolder,
Forget, and on.
Cease them, you know them.
These are the thoughts,
that floats you on;
on those waters deep, where
you get smothered.
Or in those woods where,
the silence is stifling
and this predator looms about
in the shadows, and,
you hear the beating,
the grafting rhythm of your heart.

But listen, O' valiant soul,
there may be no light,
to guide you back to
your isle of joy, of happiness,
and away from these woods of loathing
from these waters of depression, of sadness.

But there always is,
that path you traversed,
and there will always be
A thing called Hope.

A Man called Ove - A Book Review

"Men are what they are because of what they do. Not what they say."

Introduction:
GENRE: Fiction
AUTHOR: Fredrik Backman
PAGES: 337
YEAR OF PUBLISH: 2012

A Man Called Ove was published in English in 2013 written by Swedish Columnist, blogger and writer Fredrik Bachman. The book became an instant bestseller which sold millions of copies worldwide. When the English version of the book was released, it went on the New York Times Bestsellers list and stayed there for 42 weeks! The character of Ove created by Fredik Bachman became widely loved and admired by all.

The above quote is just what Ove believes in. Well why wouldn't he? The world has become full of those incompetent idiots with their big phones, ignoring signs, fools who cannot drive a manual car as if its rocket science and IT consultants who cannot even reverse a small Chinese car with a trailer attached. Not that Ove liked chinese cars. For him, one can tell what kind of a man a person is by the sort of car he drives. Ove is a very particular man who likes to do things the right way and want others to do the same. He is a stickler for rules. "Rules are Rules afterall".

On first note Ove will seem like a cranky old man. It was when you dive deeper into the book and get to know him better that you couldn't help admiring Ove and his ways. He is a sort of man who will call an Idiot a idiot on their face, a man with zero political correctness and zero tolerance for anything or anyone who does not do things properly.

Plot:

The book begins by Ove trying to buy an Ipad. He asks the Sales assistant while shaking the white box and eyeing it suspiciously if this is one of those 'O-pads'. The assistant confirms that it is an 'I-pad'. Ove asks that it is a computer then. The sales assistant is nods and then shakes his head and tells Ove that some people call it a tablet and some a surfing device. But Ove just want a good computer, how hard is that to understand? Well after Ove uses some choice words for the Sales assistant and storms out, the book makes the reader to start forming opinions about Ove. But the person who forms an opinion about Ove is in for a surprise as he moves on to the upcoming chapters.

Ove is living alone after his wife passed away after a long illness. She was the only person whom he has ever loved. Ove's mother passed away when he was a boy and so he lived with his father. His father who worked for the railways was a man of principles. A man who stuck to his set code of ethics, a man who did things with his hands and Ove learned the same. To quote an excerpt from the book -

His father never raised his fists. Not to Ove or anyone else. Ove had classmates who came to school with black eyes or bruises from a belt buckle after a thrashing. But never Ove. "We don't fight in this family", his father used to state. "Not with each other or anyone else."

He was well liked down at the railway, quiet but kind. There were some who said he was "too kind."

Or to get an even better understanding -

That year, to stop him from rattling around the house on his own, he also started going with his father to work at the railway yard after school. It was filthy work and badly paid, but, as his father used to mutter, "It's an honest job and that's worth something."

Once Ove found a wallet with more than 6000 Kronor while cleaning a train coach. He worked for a man named Tom who was dishonest and not at all liked among his colleagues. They both were in the coach at that moment, when Tom saw it - he was ready to raise his fists on Ove. That's when Ove's father interjected in between and Tom backed down. Ove's father asked Ove that it is his decision for what to do with the wallet and Ove chooses to submit the wallet in the Lost property office and when the woman behind the counter who couldn't believe her eyes and says not many people have ever handed back the money, Ove's father replied, "Many people don't have no decency either". And that's how Ove went on - doing not what is likeable but what the honest and decent thing was to be done.

The book goes on with Ove trying to commit suicide not because he was depressed in a crying all the time sort of way but because he truly & honestly and in all rationality could not see the point of keeping on living without his wife in this world where people easily replace their cars with a different brand and do not know how to do things with their own two hands. Ove fails every time. He also has a new neighbor - a software consultant with a middle eastern pregnant wife called Parvenah and two kids - people who cannot reverse a car with a trailer. With time, Parvaneh is persistent to be make Ove their friend. And Ove being who he is, retorts and complains but always does what is the right thing to do. Their is also Jimmy, another of Ove's overweight geeky neighbor for whom Ove's wife cared for when his mother died.

And that is just a small sneak peek at who Ove is. Undoubtedly, Fredrik Backman has penned one of the very lovable character in literature. If you're going to read this book beware, this is going to touch your heart in one way or another and I think that is why it was hailed so much when it appeared in the market and keeps on selling even to this day. We all need a character like Ove who says what is right not what is convenient and who does the honorable thing, in this time when everything is becoming so 'Politically correct'.

The book is written in such a way that each line will keep you entertained and engrossed in it and is filled with so many wonderful lines that will just mesmerize you. For instance -

1. "Ove, only a swine thinks size and strength are the same thing. Remember that." And Ove never forgot it.

2. People also called him antisocial. Ove assumed this meant he wasn't overly keen on people. And in this instance he could totally agree with them, More often that not people were out of their minds.

3. We always think there’s enough time to do things with other people. Time to say things to them. And then something happens and then we stand there holding on to words like ‘if’.

One of my favorites -

4. Ove feels an instinctive skepticism towards all people taller than six feet; the blood can’t quite make it all the way up to the brain.

And for our readers who lean more towards the Romance genre -

5. He was a man of black and white. And she was color. All the color he had.

I became so attached to Backman’s character that there was so little I could do to stop reading. I was reading while I was having my food, I was reading in between my office tasks and I was reading when I was not sleeping.

It would not be wrong to say that no matter what kind of a person you are, if you're a reader then this book will manage to pull at some emotional cord in you. And what would become of human race if it was not for emotions!

A must read bestseller!

Life on Earth

If ever there will be a world,
where water will hold no life,
and when poured in a glittering bowl,
it will not be nectar but a knife.
And when there will come such a stage,
when the mornings will have no chimes
even when the bells were rung,
a dreary cacophony all the time.

The noons then be filled by scorching heat,
searing new wounds on barren soil,
blazing over the burnt out remains,
and earth covered with grime and boils.
The mist will have no place to roam,
nor will it moisten any yellowing leaves,
at that time no flower will bloom,
there will just be smoke from dead-burning trees.

The evenings will have no time to adjust,
for the silence that will stray the grounds,
no shouts of joy or lamenting cries heard as such,
and sand castles will be just rocky mounds.
There will be no prayers no bowing heads,
no pain will there be, but also no joy,
no cooing cribs, no old time beds,
no miracles of birth and noone grieving the dead.

When this will come to pass,
that the sun will burn and not shine,
the land will be burnt-blackened rocks,
the ocean - just a vast lifeless brine.

At that time too the earth will be round,
and it will keep revolving without a sound,
the moon will keep an impassive gaze,
the stars will overwatch in a daze.
At that time it will take a few years,
which are nothing in this big cosmic gear,
nature will play its role on this grand-a-stage,
and life will again surely find its way.

What are we now to learn from this?
That, we are just Minuscule in the scheme of things,
even when there is nothing one can find,
something will be born from what's left behind.
And life will again take its place,
and earth will regain its healthy tone,
the oceans will spill and land will breathe,
and we will again learn to live by striking stones.

WFH (Working from Home), an Analysis

The year 2020 has been the most tumultuous year for most countries including India. With already falling global economy, China giving the gift of Covid-19 to the entire world has just added to the woes. As the cases of the Pandemic rose, the world saw the adoption of a new work culture - Work from Home.

Though this concept existed much before the rise of the global Pandemic and was already in practice in some organizations to some degree particularly in the IT sector, it wasn't until Covid-19 came knocking on our doorsteps that this became more publicized and practiced. For those who do not know or are perhaps unable to guess the concept from its obvious name, Work from Home is a practice where the employees work remotely from their homes, meaning they need not come physically to the Organization's premises and can simply 'Log in' from their homes and work on the same stuff that they did when they were in office. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Well, it is and it is not.

While it is much better for the companies and in some respect for the employees, it has certain big disadvantages that cannot be ignored which are much damaging for the companies in the long run. Work from Home situation is great in the short term for both the companies and the employees increasing the productivity and profit, but it should NOT be adopted as a permanent practice for running a business and I will give you the reasons for declaring so.

1. 'No time to play'
   
   While it is much easier and comfortable for people to be at home, but it is best for just that - being comfortable and relaxed. Home is generally a place of ease, of comfort - a safe space, where a person can forget about the trials and tribulations he has faced during the day, where his mind automatically relaxes from thinking about the many worries that has lined his face during the day. But, with work from home nothing of the sort happens. The employee has to be on their toes, working and being in that 'corporate mode' throughout. The work comes through their managers at odd hours with the reminder that they are at home.
   
   
2. 'Stressing out'
   
   This is partly explained in the above point. The employee has to be constantly alert having his mind occupied with the same work stress which may have possessed his mind if he was in the office during the day. Needless to say, this has an adverse affect on the mental health of the person. Not to mention the resentment the employee feels towards their work leading to gradual disinterest to indifference towards their work/business. As human capital is the most important resource for any organization to earn money, this has major implications which will negatively affect the organization and their business in the most adverse way.
   And this makes it the biggest disadvantage of WFH concept.
   
3. 'Enough!'
   
   Stressing out because of the point mentioned above eventually leads to complete indifference towards work. "Let the business suffer, I don't care" - this will become the prominent thought that constantly comes in the mind whenever the employee is given a directive to perform some task. But since the employee has to keep working to earn their salary anyhow, they work with half the interest and dedication. Needless to say, this affects the regular output of the employee, and the work will see half the efficiency with which it gets done. The final blunt is sustained by organization in terms of productivity, meeting customer's requirement and achieving customer satisfaction.

The above are the big 3 reasons that are big disadvantages to any company. The organization must morph their HR employee policies so that the employee does not face any additional stress due to WFH scenario as in the long run this will lead to huge employee dissatisfaction. The WFH will show you an increased attrition rate in the organization which needless to say, is not good for any organization's image and finances.

अहिल्या

इस धरा की बात है खास
खुद भगवान उतरे यहां सबके साथ।
जब कभी अंधकार घिर आता है,
मानव नीचे गिरता जाता है,
भूमि से हरि को ही पुकारता है,
अधर्म से मुक्ति को अकुलाता है।

त्रेता में जब यह नाद हुआ,
पाप से सत्कर्म जब बर्बाद हुआ
भीक्षण आंधी उड़ती आती थी,
सात्विकता नष्ट कर ले जाती थी।

ऋषियों का जीना दूभर हुआ जाता था,
पापियों का अठ्ठाहस गूंजता जाता था,
कोई महात्मा कहीं आसरा न पाता था,
रावण से सम्पूर्ण त्रिलोक थर्राता था।

यह देख हरि मुस्काये थे,
धरती पर मनुष्य रूप में आये थे,
ऋषिगण फूले न समाये थे,
स्वयं ब्रह्मा जिनको शीश नवाये थे।
वो जो कण-कण में बसते हैं,
जिनका नाम स्वयं महादेव जपते हैं।

किन्तु फिर भी कई मानव अज्ञानता वश,
इस पुण्य कथा का फैलाते अपयश,
असत्य, अधर्म के जो अनुयायी हैं,
स्वयं नीचता और कलियुग की परछाईं हैं।

परंतु ज्ञानी कभी अधीर न होता है,
राम नाम से जागता है और
राम नाम से सोता है।
यह ऐसा महाकाव्य है एक,
अनेक धर्ममार्ग का निश्चल भाव है एक।

जो सुनता उनकी कथा को है,
भूल जाता अपनी व्यथा को है,
भावविभोर उनके चरित्र का गुणगान करता है,
अहम का त्याग निःसंकोच कर उठता है।

मगर फिर भी कई असमंजस में आते हैं,
मूलतः कथाओं से अनभिज्ञ हो,
गलत समझते और समझाते हैं।

आज देखेंगे अहिल्या की कथा की जो सच्चाई थी,
विश्वामित्र ने मिथिला की राह में श्रीराम को सुनाई थी।
तो आगे की बात को समझियेगा,
फिर भी कोई प्रश्न रहे तो कहियेगा।

माया से जो कुछ मनुष्य पाता है,
उसका दोहरा चरित्र भूलता जाता है।
प्रेम, सुख, सुंदरता, ज्ञान, बल आदि सदाचार, से
जन्मते हैं कामना, भय, लोभ, निर्लज्जता, अहंकार।

तो आगमन करें कथा का जैसे सब करते थे,
मिथिला नगरी के पास ही ऋषि गौतम रहते थे।
बड़े सदाचारी, ज्ञानी, प्रभु के ध्यान में मग्न रहते थे,
सप्तऋषियों में एक, धर्म मार्ग पर अड़े थे।
सत्कर्म, ज्ञान, गुण, भक्ति हर तरह,
आम लोगों से वे बहुत बड़े थे।
एक आश्रम था -
अहिल्या से प्रणय सूत्र में बंधे थे।

लो ध्यान से अब आगे सुनो,
आज पूरी कथा समझाता हूँ,
श्रीराम के चरित्र पर लांछन लगाते
कुछ नासमझों की शंका मिटाता हूँ।

अहिल्या जब एक कुमारी थी,
ब्रह्मा जी की पुत्री थी,
वरदान से आजीवन परम् सुंदर नारी थी।
देव, असुर, ऋषिगण आदि -
सब विवाह के अभिलाषी थे,
अधिकांश सिर्फ बाहरी सौंदर्य पर मोहित हो
नष्ट बुद्धि से केवल काम-इच्छा के प्रार्थी थे।

तब ब्रह्मा जी ने ये बात रखी,
उत्तम वर खोजने की चाल चली,
बोले, "जो समस्त ब्रह्मांड का चक्कर सर्वप्रथम लगा आएगा,
वही श्रेष्ठ हो अहिल्या से विवाह कर पायेगा"।

ऋषि गौतम इस कार्य में विजयी हुए,
एक गाय, नवजात बछड़े और शिवलिंग की
परिक्रमा कर अग्रणी हुए।
वह गाय, बछड़ा समेत पूरी पृथ्वी को दर्शाती थी,
जो हर जीव को जन्म देकर,
पालन-पोषण करती जाती थी।
शिवलिंग समेत वे संसार के जीवन चक्र को दर्शाते हैं,
जीव जन्म, कर्म और मृत्यु से परम धाम को जाते हैं।

इस तरह अहिल्या का विवाह संपन्न हुआ,
इस तरह देव और असुरों का घमंड भंग हुआ।

अहिल्या भी अत्यंत ज्ञानी थी,
ब्रह्मपुत्री तो थी,
मगर अपने सौंदर्य की अभिमानी थी।
मनुष्य जब किसी ऊंचे पद को पाता है,
अभिमान की गहरी खाई में,
उतना ही गिरता जाता है।

इधर इंद्र के मन में सनक थी,
ऋषि गौतम के दिनचर्या की भनक थी।
आश्रम जब उनकी उपस्थिति-विहीन हो जाता है,
इंद्र ऋषि का वेश धरकर आता है,
उदविघ्न हो अहिल्या को पुकारता है,
वासना के वशीभूत धर्म-अधर्म भूल जाता है।
मन मे तीव्र कामना से वेश का खयाल भी उतर जाता है,
और फिर अधीर हो वह मिलन की इच्छा को दर्शाता है।

अहिल्या जब समक्ष आती है,
इंद्र को ऋषि गौतम के रूप में पाती है,
उसके असली स्वरूप को पहचान जाती है,
पर मन ही मन मुस्कुराती है।
वो अपने सौंदर्य के मद में चूर हुई,
धर्म-पथ से उस क्षण वह दूर हुई।
सोचती, "परिस्थिति मेरी सुंदरता की साक्षी है,
आज स्वयं सुरपति मेरा अभिलाषी है,
कहाँ एक साधारण मुनि दरिद्र अभागा है,
और कहां एक इंद्रलोक का राजा है"।

मगर नियति की यह बात हुई,
ऋषि गौतम की ढोंगी से मुलाकात हुई।
काम-इच्छा पूर्ण कर इंद्र बाहर जब आता है,
ऋषि को अपने समक्ष वह पाता है।
ऋषि को हाय! परिस्थिति का ज्ञान हो जाता है,
मन क्रोध, घृणा और पीड़ा से भर जाता है।

(अब वे दोनों को श्राप देते हैं और अहिल्या को बताते हैं के त्रेता में श्रीराम ही उद्धार करेंगे।)

जिह्वा से जब पीड़ादायी वाक्य निकल जाते हैं,
व्यक्ति के सत्कर्मो को नष्ट करते जाते हैं,
ऋषि गौतम अतः आश्रम को छोड़ चले,
प्रायश्चित को हिमालय की ओर चले।

त्रेता में श्रीराम तब आये थे,
अहिल्या का उद्धार कर नैतिकता का पाठ पढ़ाये थे।

इस कथा में हर एक कार्य के कारण हैं,
ये तो बस धर्म-अधर्म का एक उदाहरण है।
जिनके चरणों की छाप से कई किरदारों के पाप धुले,
उनकी अनुकंपा से, हमको भी बैकुंठ धाम मिले।

मृत्यु से मुलाकात

निकल पड़ा मैं घर से किसी बात पे,
क्रोधित था मन उस दिन दुनिया के हालात पे,
उचटा हुआ मन लिए पहुंचा एक सूने मैदान में,
सहसा सन्नाटे से ठिठका, हुआ थोड़ा हैरान मैं ।

दूर दूर तक न कोई मनुष्य नज़र आता था,
न ही आकाश से कोई पंछी चहचहाता था,
रोशनी भी धीरे धीरे ढल रही थी,
धूल समेटे हुए हवा भी मंद-मंद चल रही थी।

हवा का बहाव भी ठहरता हुआ सा जाता था,
"कौन हूं मैं?", क्रोधित मन यह भूलता सा जाता था।
इससे पहले अस्तित्व की यादें मिटने को उठे
एक हल्का सा साया नज़दीक महसूस हुआ जाता था।

समझा कोई है धूर्त वहां, जो विघ्न डालने आता था,
बिन समझ-बूझ मैं उससे संवाद छेड़ता जाता था -

"है कौन मूर्ख वहां बतलाओ,
अपना चेहरा मुझे दिखलाओ।
जानते नहीं तुम कौन हूँ मैं?
पहचानते नहीं कौन हूँ मैं?
किस आशय से नज़दीक आते हो?
साये की तरह पीछे लहराते हो।

मैं यहां का हूँ मसीहा,
मैं वो ज्ञानी शख्स हूँ,
अभिनंदनीय हूँ मैं यहां सभी का,
लोग कहते मैं ब्रह्म का अक्स हूँ।

तू होता कौन यहां जो सहसा मुझे चौंकाता है?
मेरे चिंतन में बाधा बन खुद को मुझसे छुपाता है!
मेरे पास इतना धन-धान्य भरा,
तेरा भी मोल करा सकता हूँ,
मेरा यहां अधिकार बड़ा,
तुझे बिकवा भी सकता हूँ।
यहां अधिपत्य है मेरा
जहां मन हो वहां मेरा डेरा है,
यदि झुक जाए तू मेरे सम्मुख,
हर ऐश्वर्य तुझे दिला सकता हूँ।

मुख खोल कर जवाब दे,
पक्षधर होने का प्रमाण दे!"

जैसे एक बिजली कौंध गयी,
हो प्रकृति जैसे मौन गयी
कानों से एक विचित्र स्वर टकराया था
हर अणु में रोमांच भर आया था।
अट्ठहास कर वह बोला, "समझता तू खुद को अति ज्ञानी है
शरीर को समझता पहचान अपनी, मनुष्य, तू बाद अज्ञानी है!
चल तुझको सत्य बताता हूँ,
तुझसे अपना परिचय करवाता हूँ।
मैं हूँ लोभरहित, मुझको कुबेर तक नहीं मोह सकता है,
है तेरी क्या बिसात बालक, तू तो अभी बहुत ही कच्चा है।

सोचता है तू, मुझको संपत्ति धन-धान्य दिखायेगा,
किस काम आएंगे ये जब तू मेरे साथ चला जायेगा?
मैं हूँ वह जिससे थर्राता यह लोक तेरा,
मैं हूँ वह, जो तेरा शरीर यहाँ मिटने छोड़ जाता हूँ,
तेरे हृदय में हाथ डाल प्राण निकाल ले जाता हूँ।

मैं यम का हूँ दास बड़ा,
मैं कभी नहीं बिक सकता हूँ,
मैं अंतर करता नहीं, उचित समय पर -
हर जीव के प्राण हर सकता हूँ।
मैं हूँ अखंड, पुरातन, काल के साथ ही मैं सदैव चलता हूँ,
जन्म जो लेता है सृष्टि में,
मुक्त करने उसको निकलता हूँ।

पूरे ब्रह्मांड में है वास मेरा,
मैं हर घड़ी चलता रहता हूँ,
अस्थिर रहके एक समय,
एकाधिक स्थानों पे मैं बसता हूँ।
छूट नहीं सकता है कोई मुझसे,
मैं वह जीवन की सच्चाई हूँ,
जीवन-मरण के चक्र का अभिन्न अंग,
माया की देता मैं दुहाई हूँ।

महादेव के तांडव का अंत हूँ मैं,
ब्रह्मा के चेतन की अगुवाई हूँ,
श्रीराम के चरणों का दास हूँ मैं,
श्रीकृष्ण के विश्वरूप की गवाही हूँ।
दास हूँ मगर फिर भी श्रीराम को लेने मैं आया था,
और सीता जी को भी मैंने वापस बैकुंठ पहुंचाया था।
तीर की शैया पर लेटे हुए भीष्म की मुझसे विनती थी,
मैं आया तब भी था, बस उचित समय उनकी अपनी गिनती थी।

द्वापर युग के अंत के लिए भी मैं ही क्षमा-प्रार्थी था,
गांधारी के श्राप से झुका था मैं,
जाने को इस लोक से स्वयं श्रीकृष्ण ने, बनाया अपना सारथी था।
रावण का अभिमान भी मैं था,
लंका में अग्निकांड भी मैं था,
श्री हनुमान के वारों से,
असुरों का उत्थान भी मैं था।
दुर्योधन की ज़िद और झूठी शान भी मैं था,
कर्ण का वह महादान भी मैं था,
अभिमन्यु हत्या के पाप का फल,
द्रौपदी के पांचों पुत्रों की जान भी मैं था।
धृतराष्ट का अंधा राज मोह,
कुरुक्षेत्र में शंखनाद भी मैं था,
और, अर्जुन के गांडीव से निकले बाण भी मैं था।

अतः हे मानव! मुझे तू नहीं खरीद सकता है,
मेरा मोल न तो इतना भी सस्ता है।
इसलिए, सही कर्मों की आदत को बनाना होगा,
दूसरों के लिए जीना तुझे अपना लक्ष्य बनाना होगा,
क्योंकि मेरा परिचय स्मरण रहे-
जिसने जन्म लिया है, उसे एक दिन तो जाना होगा।

Lockdown outside your home, or maybe you just like to be inside. Well, what would you like to read? Please Vote.

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MOSSAD: The greatest missions of Israeli's secret service

GENRE     Non-Fiction, Military
AUTHOR  Mickel Bar Zohar & Nissim Mishal
PAGES      360
YEAR OF PUBLISH  2012
RELATED BOOK Mitrokhin Archives, Sword & Shield, Beyond Hitler Grasp,No mission is impossible

“For unsung heroes, for battles untold, for book unwritten, for secret unspoken, and for a dream of peace never abandoned, never forgotten." 

These are the dedications of the book. The statement is enough to make you understand-what contains the book are neither initials or the end of Mossad's operations.

Imagine a struggling man in his mid-twenties asked to work for a secret service in return for family support. He has no option but to go for it. He is trained, molded as spie and sent in the nest of the enemy. He grows there, gets recognized, finds the network with top officials. Every major program of the country is under his radar, living in the near to military headquarters, sending intel to his fellow men. With his input, his country stopped many potential threats. They are in the best position to attack or defend themselves. One day, he gets caught and torched to hell. His mates try all measures for his return but fail. He dies as a hero.

Yeah !! It is one of the stories in the book. The above plot is from Damascus, Syria. All missions in the book are no less than an epitome of brilliance in their work. Readers will have wooo feeling after every chapter. There are numerous characters, complex network and excellent analyzing skills that gives result only Mossad like organization can achieve.

Mossad's glory precedes its name. Protecting a naive nation, surrounded by enemy country(s),  its intelligence and covert operations, ensured its security.  I found a complete package of adventure & thriller in all the twenty-one chapters. From dismantling Syria’s nuclear facility, getting a Russian Mig 21, slowing down Iran's nuclear program for almost a decade, destroying dams that were supposed to restrict water supplies to Isreal, huff !! I can go on and on. There are failure stories too but god !! what graceful failures. The tone of the writer is soo simple that you can picture the events going on.I don't know about you but I was completing 4-5 chapters in one sitting. It is kind of pulls you back for one more story, one more and one more. 

I am reading lots of non-fictional books but what military and its stories tech can you is beyond comparison. I have added Sword & Shield in my reading list. 

A similar military book that pulled my attention was Extreme Ownership: How Navy Seals Lead and win. Though it was a self-help book but created a lasting impact.

We are RBR providing Book Reviews for many bestsellers. The reader can get a precise summary that will help to decide which book worth their time. Content here is highly generic and its objective is to ensure reviews with an unbiased perspective. The common genre includes Nonfiction like biography, self-help, management guide, economics concept-oriented & psychology.

VISIT www.reviewbeforeread.com for exciting reviews.

Book Review The Prince : Niccolo Machiavelli

Genre : Non Fiction, Political Science, Classics

Author Niccolo Machiavelli

Pages  140

Year of Publish 1532

Related books  Art of war, Chanakya Niti

About the author

Niccolo Machiavelli(1469-1527) was an Italian diplomat and philosopher. Born in the renaissance period, he is often regarded as the father of modern political science. The major part of his life was under the service of the Florentine Republic with responsibilities in Diploma and military affairs. He came into focus after the publication of his first book The Prince(five years after his death). His realistic rather than ideal division of politics gained worldwide acceptance and haters. 

Book review The Prince

Earlier, I never heard of this book. One day I saw it on the desk of my colleague in the office. As a typical bookworm- I stared it with curiosity, flipped its back cover, and checked the table of contents. Within seconds I decided to read. The next minute, I borrowed it from him. If you are Indian, you must be knowing Chanakya Niti, a jewel from the history of governance. Well, The Prince can be called its western reincarnation. It was written in the 15th century, so I was ready to read some complex classic writings. From beginning to end the author remained blunt towards his teachings. There is a high chance for readers to find its disturbing ideology. And within no time, they may tag it as absolute rubbish. So, here is my disclaimer for you-'I am here to share the content of one of the most famous books of all time. I am not recommending this book. It will your call. 

Summary of The Prince 

The prince is regarded as one of the first works in modern political philosophy. The writing focuses on two things. Firstly, State-' all forms of organization of supreme political power.' Secondly, Price-'the ruler of the state'. The author says we live in a society where ideals do not get the expected admiration and support. Even when everyone wants to see things as morally sound, they do not act in that way. The prince who understand this enjoys the public hands over him. It doesn't mean that the prince should start behaving rowdily. The window dressing has to be for a person which mosses want to see that is morally correct. Focusing on enemies Machiavelli suggests, a potential enemy can be dealt in two ways - making them friends for crushing them that they don't stand a chance. Companies we see as epitome success has been in the bloodiest lawsuits to survive. A Prince has to make sure his hands remain clean before the eyes of the public. Delegating dirty and difficult jobs to others and keeping forfeited and noble work to oneself. Support this statement author shares a dirty incident- Prince of a state wanted to capture territory. He asked his soldier to capture the place at any cost. The soldier along with his men kills innocent people and gain control. When Prince reaches his captured location he senses the dissatisfaction and hates for him. He orders to kill the soldier and tell the masses this wasn't the way he wanted this place. The prince distributes food and clothing to the people and gains support.

Quotes from The Price 

1. How will life is different from how we auto live that he who studies that ought to be done will learn the way to his downfall rather than his preservation. 

2. Any man who tries to pick good all the time is bound to come to ruin amount the great number you are not good. Hence they bring must learn how not to be good and use that knowledge or refrain from using it as necessity requires. 

3. The vulgar crowd always taken by appearance and the World consists chiefly of the vulgar. 

4. Men ought either to be well treated or crushed because they can avenge themselves of lighter injuries of more serious ones they cannot. Therefore, an injury turned to a man or to be such kind that one does not stand in fear of revenge. 

5. Prince must delegate the difficult tasks to others and keep popular on for themselves.