With the summer peaking and many parts of India already under a heatwave, perhaps it’s time to catch up on some reading. Try out a few of these books to keep away from the heat outside as well as get ahead on a few aspects of life.
Silence: The Power of Quiet in a World Full of Noise
Silence, whether inner or outer, is something that we all crave. In our series on keeping the doctor away, we saw how mindfulness is an effective tool to help us. But if you would truly like to know more about it, why, and how it is a powerful tool, then this is the book you should read. The author is hailed as the father of mindfulness and lived in exile for 39 years.
If we stop the noise inside, then we can get a lot of things in order. This book by the Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet, and peace activist, Thích Nhất Hạnh is just what the doctor prescribed! Through anecdotes and life wisdom, he shares how people can practice mindfulness in life. This is about spirituality, self-help, philosophy, and more. It is a beautiful journey of self-discovery that can change our lives. Thích Nhất Hạnh has authored more than 130 books and covers a wide variety of topics from spirituality, mindfulness, stories, and essays to poems.
My Life in Full
The author is one of the widely known Indians, a successful woman, and CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2019. Indra Nooyi shares her experiences in this book and it is laced with humour, grace, and honesty. She shares the trials and tribulations of managing a demanding career and family. This will easily strike a chord with most working women in India. Whether successful or not, the sacrifices, the challenges, etc. remain similar on many counts. Her memoirs tell her tale through her childhood to her most successful years as a corporate strategist. Having consistently ranked among the World’s 100 most powerful women, Indra Nooyi’s book is a must-read to understand the many nuances of being successful.
Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life
Who wouldn’t want to know the secret to a long and happy life, right? Well, if you are inclined, then pick up this book by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles. Héctor García, a former software engineer worked at CERN in Switzerland before moving to Japan. Francesc Miralles is an award-winning author from Barcelona with many self-help and inspirational books to his credit.
Ikigai means a reason to live and many a time, that is what we all search for. The book is designed to help you find your Ikigai and can help change your life. A lot will have to be brought out to ensure that you live a happy and meaningful life. The book helps you find out more about yourself and put things into practice. In many ways, it is a journey to find yourself and you will find many answers that you were seeking so far. The beauty is that it is not like preaching that bores you, is linked with scientific facts, and keeps you engrossed.
False Allies
A lot of discussions seem to be happening about Indian history recently. Written by none other than the winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar, Manu S Pillai, this book explores the lives and stories of India’s Maharajahs. They are known mostly for their lavish lives, selfish decisions, treacheries, and more. Through this book, he tries to change the perception about a few of the yesteryear Indian kings who were patriotic. He tries to highlight how they strategized to challenge the British Raj. He does this through a storyline crafted to track the travels of the iconic painter, Ravi Varma through the five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s. Through brilliant research, he brings forth some stunning dimensions of the Indian kings and their rule which makes for a riveting read.
Manu, the author is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at King’s College, London, and has quite a few popular books to his credit. He won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2017 for his book, The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore.
