March 7, 2013 1 Book Peek

Quick look at a few books

BOOK PEEK

March 7, 2013 2 Book Peek

Contents of Book Peek dated March 7, 2013

Reviews

‘Discover the Gift: It’s why we’re here’ by Demian Lichtenstein and

Shajen Joy Aziz - Landmark

‘Cell Phone Nation’ by Robin Jeffrey and Assa Doron

‘The Insider’s View: Memoirs of a public servant’ by Javid Chowdhury

‘Ash in the Belly: India’s unfinished battle against hunger’ by Harsh

Mander

‘Superteams: The secrets of stellar performance from seven legendary

teams’ by Khoi Tu

‘The Great Degeneration: How institutions decay and economies die’

by Niall Ferguson

Short snatches

‘A Brief Hour of Beauty’ by Ammu Nair - Landmark

‘What If They Knew? Secrets of an impressive woman’ by Lisa L. Payne

‘Fix Your Problems: The Tenali Raman Way’ by Vishal Goyal

‘Damn Good Advice (for people with talent)’ by George Lois

‘9 Things Successful People Do Differently’ by Heidi Grant Halvorson

‘Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy: A journey to the heart of cricket’s

underworld’ by Ed Hawkins

(Subscriptions: http://bit.ly/ShriMagz)

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March 7, 2013 3 Book Peek

Being receptive

Receptivity is the first step that Demian Lichtenstein and

Shajen Joy Aziz discuss in ‘Discover the Gift: It’s why

we’re here’ (Landmark). It is about being open to all

possibilities and allowing yourself to grow in the direction

of those possibilities, they explain. “Being receptive

acknowledges that the universe is always trying to teach

us things and guide us. Receptivity begins with learning

how to listen to your own soul, your own inner source,

and allowing these insights to enter into your heart and

mind.”

By holding a receptive state of awareness, you harmonise with the vibration

of that which is trying to emerge, and you allow miracles to happen, the

authors guide. Adding that miracles are happening around us all the time,

the authors fret that we do not always notice them because we are not

always open to them, and because we are too caught up in the drama of our

life situation. Opening yourself to the possibility of something powerful

within you can be a simple step, the authors opine. “‘Can be’ are the key

words here, they note. “A lot of times we can change our lives simply by

becoming aware of what we’re thinking about, then thinking about

March 7, 2013 4 Book Peek

something else. But it’s not always that easy. Perhaps you have suffered so

much in your life that you doubt whether you were even meant to exist.”

Step two is ‘intention,’ the act of setting a new purpose for your life, a new

goal, inspired by receptivity, an act of declaration, an act of decision, an act

of will, the authors observe. “Intention means setting yourself free of limiting

patterns, habits, and beliefs so that you can create a life-affirming system of

thinking and living in alignment with your new purpose.”

Next comes ‘activation,’ where you build on your receptivity and intention by

actively engaging in the work of personal growth and development. The

private side of activation is ‘inner-action,’ meaning going inside, spending

time with your source, and listening. And ‘inter-action’ is the public side of

activation, meaning engaging, interacting and participating with yourself

and others and allowing your potential to unfold; by doing so, you are

supporting your thoughts, dreams, and emotions through your actions and

your language, the authors instruct.

The final step, the eighth, is ‘love,’ the ultimate gift. Love gives us the power

to forgive even that which we perceive as unforgivable, the authors declare.

“It grants the ability to be grateful for our very existence.”

A guide for inner journey.

March 7, 2013 5 Book Peek

Food security

‘How long can the middle classes be expected to subsidise

the poor?’ Citing this poser of a TV anchor, Harsh Mander

writes in ‘Ash in the Belly: India’s unfinished battle against

hunger’ that the manner in which the current debate

about subsidies – sometimes described as ‘handouts’ or

even ‘freebies’ – is being framed in Indian middle-class

discourse is deeply problematic. The underlying premise in

such debate, as he explains, is that populist politics seeks

to buy votes from large masses of poor people, by

distributing to them food, cash and other unearned benefits, through

unfairly taxing the hard-working tax-paying middle classes.

But public expenditures on food, nutrition, health care and education are

investments in India’s richest economic resource, its women and men,

Mander argues. He underlines that while India has the demographic

advantage of being home to the largest population of young people in the

working age groups, almost every second child in India is malnourished,

with body and brain not developing to full potential. “Therefore, investments

in food, clean water, sanitation, health care and education resulting in a

healthier, more educated, better nourished workforce, would surely engine

March 7, 2013 6 Book Peek

faster (and more equitable) economic growth. Keynes has also demonstrated

how public expenditure contributes to economic stability in market

economies.”

A comprehensive food-security bill can be one decision with power to change

the course of history, the author foresees. Such a bill, which creates

detailed obligations for governments to secure food and nutrition for people

who live most with want and deprivation, can alter the destinies of the most

wretched of our earth, for people who have for centuries been condemned to

live with the hopeless suffering of hunger, he reasons.

“Without such obligatory State action, their lives would remain frozen in

time as the rest of us race ahead.”

The paramount argument for a comprehensive right to food law is not

economic or political, but ethical, observes Mander. He cites Elie Wiesel,

Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate, thus: “The opposite of love is not

hate. It is indifference.” The food law, reminds Mander, can breach our

collective indifference, the great gaping hole in our collective souls, which we

must mend. “Can we agree that whatever this costs, we will pay? If

accomplishing this requires the need to tax you and me more, so be it.”

A fervent call for action.

March 7, 2013 7 Book Peek

Published by: Shrinikethan, Chennai http://bit.ly/ShriMap

Edited by: D. Murali http://bit.ly/dMurali http://bit.ly/TopTalk

March 7, 2013