Around a month back, I have posted about how I am interested to read different books. I have bought few books in the past, caught few in libraries, got a couple of them from friends as gifts, but I have only completed few of them. But this time, I completed a book in less than 10 days (I could have completed this within a week, but this week, I was really much busy.). So, what made this change? There are two reasons: first one is I have to write a review within 7 days and the second one is what I learned (yes, learned) in the book.
I was selected to review the book ‘The Habit of Winning’ by Prakash Iyer by the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Earlier, I have applied for few books under this program, but never selected to review any. When I saw that this book is up for review, it just came into my mind that I should read this book. Fortunately, I was selected for this book. One day I was too tired and was sleeping during the day time; when I wakeup, I found a beautiful book is there on the desk with a personalized letter from Nirav Sanghavi and a BlogAdda.com bookmark. Before I look anything, my eyes caught what Harsha Bhogle says about this book, printed on the cover of the book. He says,
After being long imprisoned by an outstanding manager, an excellent
writer breaks through … He has something that will plant seeds in your mind.
Read it, follow what he has to say and those seeds will blossom into fine oaks.
You will cherish this offering.
I thought myself, Harsha Bhogle, so is this book talks stories of cricket to inspire and motivate? Well, I think I am going to love this. Then I opened the book and found a message with autograph form Prakash Iyer himself. This is the first time I got a book with autograph of the author, awesome. When I start reading any book, I read from the first page, never leave foreword, preface etc. But before I do so, I looked inside to have a quick view. I noticed a chapter “‘Mein Khelega’ The Making of a Champion Called Sachin Tendulkar”. I had watched the video of Navjot Singh Sidhu telling this story of Sachin on Facebook few days ago. I had really enjoyed that and I got confirmed that the journey with this books is going to be awesome.
I started reading the book, from the page one, as I always do. As I was completing one chapter with a smile on my lips and moving to the next one, I was also telling myself few things: “Yes, I did this right.”, “Yes, I am doing this right.”, “No, I did this wrong.”, “No, I am doing this wrong and I have to change the way I am doing.” etc. I started to feel the change within me. You don’t need to wait for the completion of the book and implement the advices given in your life to see the change, to see the winner within you. As you continue reading the book with love, your approach to your life, your work and your surroundings will change and your will feel the winner within you.
Now I am going to tell you how I enjoyed the book and what I loved most in the book. Before, I write anything here, let me tell you; if you are reading this book read the foreword by R. Gopalakrishnan before reading the chapters of the book. If you read the foreword, later when you will come across the stories in the book, you will enjoy it more.
So in the first section, Prakash tells you about the visson and goals. The first story tells your about how to think high, how to highly perceive your rolls. It advices you to judge your contribution, not your work. Then Prakash tell you how to set a goal by telling what do you need to climb a mountain – the mountain itself. Then he advices you to stay focused to your goal, by telling about a speech of Jack Ma – Don’t Change Your Rabbit.
In the second section, Prakash tells you about Self-belief. How is the Winner’s Mindset, how to break your mental barriers, how to find success near you – no need to search here and there for it, the special abilities in you, in everyone, and how to think positively every time – you will learn all these in this section.
The next section tells you about Perseverance. This starts with ‘Mein Khelega’ story of Sachin. As I said earlier, I knew that I would enjoy this one. Then I learned about Chinese Bamboo, which takes 5 years and 3 months to grow over 80 feet high. Nothing happens in the first five years after you plant the seed, then it takes just 90 days (yes, just 3 months) to shoot up to a towering eighty feet. I got really impressed. Then I learned how Atapattu did not give up after early recurring failures on the international level and became a successful player and how Anil Kumble showed his spirit for commitment by playing with a fractured jaw (which I had read in news earlier). And then how the one-degree-more makes a difference. This is what I always think about and try to put in my efforts.
The next section tells you about Winner’s Mindsets. It also includes 5 interesting stories. Two of which I read in social networks sharing: the story of a ladies with cookies at an airport and a woman with dirty laundry.
The next section tells you about GIVING. It has 4 nice chapters. There are two of which I really love. In one story, one guy goes to the hell and saw people around a table having awesome foods with a long spoon attached to their hands and how they are struggling to eat any food. Then I told myself, why these stupid people don’t feed each other? That guy goes to the heaven and found the similar situation as the hell, but with a difference. Here these kind people were feeding each other. Then the next awesome story is how M.K. Gandhi threw his second shoe towards the first one, while losing the first one whole catching a train. I know, how it feels when you lost one shoe. But if you will ever found yourself in the situation like Gandhi, you will love to do what he did.
The next two section tells you about Hard Work and The Winner’s Way, respectively. In the The Winner’s Way section, I loved two stories. One of them is a goalkeeper’s mentality during a penalty kick and the other one is how Japanese used Sharks to keep fishes fresh and tasty.
The next section tells you about Wining with Teams. Here the author talks about the Dahi Handi B-School. A single event in a year, where people break Dahi Handis in Mumbai, but teaches 10 important lessons. I loved this one. Then the another very interesting story is about how kites teaches you important roles of subordinates in the success of leaders.
The next section talks about how important role Other People play, while you are moving towards your goal. And then follows a very important part of life, Finding Balance, in the next section. It teaches you many important aspects of life, which included how to stay happy. It explains you the important role of the word ‘Enough’. Then the climax of the book tell you to Take Action. An important advice to break all those snooze buttons and throw them out.
As I told before, I felt change as soon as I started reading the book. This book not only helping me to be winner in my own area, it also makes things easy for me. I take stories from this book and tell to other people around me to explain few needed things. So this is a most recommended book for you all to read. Must recommended, if you want to be winner of life.
This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!
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