The alchemy of success

D. S. Cheema

It is not possible for us to live a perfect life, but one can always learn to lead a reasonably successful life following certain principles based on good values. People approach the subject of personal development differently, while aspiring to live a quality life. This has also led to increase in readership of self-help books. The new authors keep churning out cut-and-dry formulae for happiness and assured success. Fortunately, this book is a refreshing departure from the run-of-the-mill books in more than one way.

The author of the book is not a preacher. He has practiced in his life what he wants his readers to follow. His approach is anecdotal with emphasis on drawing right lessons. Also the author’s claim that his inspiration to write the book was to share his work-life experiences with his 17 year-old-grandson lends credibility and authenticity to what he says.

There are lessons in this book that students can never learn from any business school. People read a lot of self-help books, follow them with diligence and do all the right things and yet fail miserably. The authors of such books do not showcase their failures. Had the authors discussed how they learnt from their failures, perhaps they would have sold more copies. So, what Shiv Malik recommends in his book is worth paying heed to.

India as a nation has innumerable problems but all these can be directly related with the quality of its human resources. Truth, values and ethics are the solid foundation on which good-quality life can be built. Even a man like Hitler who was known for his barbaric actions recognised the importance of truth; it is believed that the statement, ‘Truth is the only law’ was prominently displayed in his office.

Section one of the book deals with personality traits and values and has a useful summary of how qualities impact real-life situations. Section two is about right attitude towards life. The author has narrated his personal experiences with some men of great character like Nelson Mandela to explain his teachings further.

Author has quoted certain well-known personalities from administration and corporate world to emphasise on the importance of character. There are hints of inadvertent personal bias towards certain people whom he has projected as role models in the book. The reader is likely to notice the unintended repetition while the author explains the power of certain universal truths like integrity, honesty, humility, courage and willingness of great men to make sacrifices for the sake of their principles.

The author has designed an integrated blueprint of leading a successful life, using the fundamentals of values, which can get one sustainable success. Author, because of his vast experiences in dealing with a large number of people at different levels, possesses a unique ability to synthesise wisdom.

Nuggets of wisdom make this a practical guidebook. The book is a useful choice for ever-increasing number of people looking for self-help books to achieve success. It is definitely worth reading and revisiting when you seek answers to questions of life.