Choices and Consequences. Review on You Can Win - Shiv Khera

If I ever sit down and write about the events of my life which altered the course of my life in an unprecedented way, then this particular book will be right up there.

Its funny now when I think of it as to why I bought this book at all. I had a couple of hundred bucks and was allowed to spend this on any book I wanted. I badly wanted to buy the Booker Prize winner ''God of Small Things''. Since this one was out of my budget, so I decided to settle for an lower priced ''You Can Win'' by Shiv Khera.

I was amply sure that this would be another of those somewhere-in-my-room-dusty books. But now when I recall how it changed the course of my life, I cannot but thank God enough that I indeed bought this book.

This is one of the best accounts ever written by a professional about the way in which one could drastically change ones attitude and realise the fruits of it in each and every walk of ones life. Right from the preface till the last word of this book, one will find nothing but the wisdom and the lost (un)common sense sense so seldom seen in people these days.

The book presents not only a clear-cut way of analysing oneself through each of its seven to eight chapters but also suggests ways and means in which ones attitude could be turned around or steered for the better. As said somewhere in the book - exactly as only the test of fire makes fine steel, so does only a brute sense of belief in the truth makes one rise above the marshy rest. Well perhaps I should add that this is not all.

The book contains numerous anecdotes which bring out the eternal truth that values never die or fade. Its rather our perspective that changes. And I guess I do not need to use quantum mechanics to prove that this has been on a hasty decline. If only people realise this. If they indeed do- as is quite rare- and somehow think of renovating thier entire self for the betterment of the environment (and here the meaning is not literal) then this is one book they should seriously consider.

Besides anecdotes, this book also analyses the implications of each and every anecdote it presents. Its as if someone extracting the cream from the milk. Sections on myths, empathy, integrity, commitment, etc are worth reading a hundred times. As rightly said, people cannot value you more than you value yourself. Besides, I hardly guess people know the difference between promises and commitments. Commitments are eternal just like values.

The section on Integrity & Honesty is among the very best. It brings and almost jolts this essential part of you into life as you cruise through this section. The book itself is extremely addictive not because its so well written (well ofcourse it is) but because you just can't believe of the enormity of change which could still be brought about by simply reading and implementing what has been written in the book.

The one saying whose meaning really SANK into me while reading this book is this well known phrase: ''as you sow, so you reap''. Before I came across ''You Can Win'', this had almost become a cliche. Equivalent to some crap that I heard all the time. Now I think one cannot describe life in lesser words. The principle of causality is beautifully brought out. Everything happens not because it is supposed to happen but because one person or the other makes it happen. This book (and I have personal experiences also as I bet you do too) absolutely dispels all your doubts about changing your own life through your own courage, determination and dedication to a purpose. Once that is there, the means follow like crazy.

And guess what happens once you are on the right track? Success. This is also nothing but just a consequence of what you choose. Essentially choices dictate life just like roads dictate destinations. Once you make the choice and are merrily along your way then there is absolutely no way in which you can change the consequence. So true. This portrayl of one being able to change ones life simply through the choices one makes is nicely depicted using some of the most striking examples one can spot. Be it the paralysed world record setting athlete in the olympics or Abraham Lincoln, all these personalities made EXACTLY the same choices. They decided to stick to the values that are eternal. And guess why we remmember them even today?

I think I can write for ages about this book. It has given me (and I am sure a lot of others) so much that the incomprehensible extent of the change can hardly be realised. All I can say is this is one book you will regret not having read through your life if you indeed aren't able to read it. No, this is not the smile-and-say-hello kind of cosmetic make-up book which puts a fake mask on fancy executives. Its rather one of those accounts of your very own self that helps you rise above all those things you haven't been able to, so far.

And guess what- I still haven't bought ''God of Small Things''

Thankyou for reading the review. And whether you rate this review or not, do lay your hand on this book. The day you open that book you will realise as to why I say so.