Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

I was destined to read this book. A few ladies in my apartment joined to form a book club, and this was the first book chosen for reading ,followed by a discussion thereafter, the next month. The flip side of being a member of such a club dawned on me then. You are "forced " to read a book. This when my "want to read" book list still begged attention. On second thoughts, I argued that I joined the book club so that I'll be forced to read books. I decided that I'll read the book. If I find it boring, I can always not read it!
Next, I didn't have to work hard to find the book. It was just there in the library close home and a good friend dropped it home.You see,if I was destined to read it, the truth is that I didn't find it boring either.
The club discussed it last week. On a scale of five, the maximum rating given was a generous 2.5! Most of the ladies felt that it was a typical American perspective and so there was an extent to which we Indians could  relate to. There was a clear disconnect with the "Self" obsession for everything under the sun and above it! Personally, I was quite happy to hear this line of arguement. I was often given to think that, that disconnect was diminishing. Never the less some members did opine that our future generation may be able to relate with this obsession better than us. But that's another matter for another  day, may be.
However, I am now on a give- the- devil- her- due review.
 To begin with, I found an honest, genuine voice in the writer. Here is a woman who lays herself bare, digging up the whole gamut of her feelings through this art of writing---excruciating, pleasurable or theraupetic.It is no mean job to get the right words to emote your feelings. It is indeed a lucid style that communicates well with all kinds of readers.
 And that is why one lady said that she too wanted to go roam the streets and eateries of Rome like the author.
India ,is mostly represented in the Ashram . I am curious to know which place in reality was that?
For me, Bali came alive in all her charm. Also, the idyllic description of Gili Meno, the tiny coastal island.
The road trip with Yudhi is another skilful interlude in the book. Yudhi draws the Manhattan map on the white sands of Gili to talk of all their favourite haunts and foods. That young man's nostalgia ,loss , yearning and helplessness is so evocatively brought out there.
Well....the prayer, the meditation bits are ironically the dampeners. Like the Indonasian kids the author writes about, our tropical genes are so given to prayers that an adventure or roller coaster ride on it doesnn"t just ring true!
I am told quotes from the book are quite popular. I have not seen them as yet.
Eat Pray Love had its bits for me. And I enjoyed chewing on it. Felipe's signature line holds good for me too: "if you tell me slowly, I can understand quickly." 

Delivering Happiness : My views.

The book truly delivered happiness of some sort. I mean when I simply filled in those details while surfing the net, I didn’t expect anything to come out of it. So, I was pleasantly surprised to get the couriered copies!  

            The next challenge for me was to read a non fiction book. A short train journey the following week, finding myself bookless I took it along compulsively. All this cut the ice, later on, of course,  I read through the book as I found it quite interesting.

            Among the three sections I found “profits” very engrossing. Those experiences seem so earnest and written in a lucid style. I’m sure many a reader would have related to many of these “adventures” and emotions.

            The book starts off with a quote by Gandhiji and needless to say my Indian eyes sparkled with pride!

            ‘The accomplishments of the children were the trophies that many parents defined their own success and status by”. The Asian culture thus is defined. Albeit, the child draws his lessons. “it is possible to run a business by mail order, without any face to face  interaction .” Nurtured within this kind of a  system the Asian businessman thinks differently.

“there was something alluring being involved in something where the sole purpose was to create an experience and emotional journey for people, and then to have nothing but memories left afterward to hold onto.”

            The Bard teaches a different lesson here, when the Morse code makes up for a sonnet!” “It sometimes pays to take risks and think out of the box.” Gradually, the other lessons follow-how the presentation of truth is as important as the truth, the importance of ‘humility’, the power of ‘crowd sourcing”. Success brings with it the follow up questions, What’s success? Happiness?  What am I working toward?  

            Thoughts breeze in and many a truth dawn. “How easily we are all brainwashed by our society and culture to stop thinking and just assume by default that more money equals more success and more happiness…”

            Thus, at the outset, the “culture” is defined. Defined in the upbringing, defined in perception and defined for the future. That’s the keyword, the answer for “the best way to build a brand for the long term.”

            In the end, that is Zappos’ equation of success. “You get the culture right, most of the other stuff……..will happen naturally on its own.”

            Passion, personal stories and reality are also what make up the ‘flow’ in “Delivering happiness”. It shall motivate many young entrepreneurs. Well…I have chosen to join the movement. With this bit, take the novice entrepreneur along the right path to profit.

            I shall gift my second copy to my young cousin.