Jawaharlal Nehru - An Autobiography

WHEN a learned person is imprisoned for his ideological beliefs, he has all the time in the world to reflect on his life, especially on events leading to his predicament.
By the time Jawaharlal Nehru found his true calling in life, he had been in and out of prison so many times that he almost treated the jail as his second home.
The once-future Prime Minister of India spent many months during one of his numerous jail terms in then British-controlled India writing this autobiography. The mood that emerges from this 623-page book is almost melancholic.
Born in the latter half of the 19th century and the only son of wealthy barrister Motilal Nehru, Jawaharlal was a descendant of the Kashmiri clan and a member of the Brahmin caste.
Even though Nehru modestly recounts his early education at England's Harrow and Cambridge University, the book impresses upon the reader that Nehru felt that he was indeed one of the few lucky ones amid the impoverished millions back home. Understandably, the major portion of the autobiography evolves around his political struggles and the effects of the accumulated years of incarceration on his family.
He shares his thoughts on Mahatma Gandhi with admirable candour. He discloses his doubts about the great Indian leader at certain junctures when Gandhi made decisions that did not seem to coincide with practical objectives.
This reflection and confession of thoughts and deeds cover a wide spectrum of Nehru's early checkered political career when he had to bear great physical discomfort and endure much personal hardship.
If the great Mahatma was the soul of India, then surely Nehru must be her conscience. It takes a man of great character to bare his heart and soul to the nation and the world, to expose his weaknesses and doubts about his own political beliefs and physical limitations. Yes, there were times when the beatings became so severe that even the steely resolve that was part of the Nehru persona began to buckle.
During the 1920s and early '30s, India was caught up in a massive, inexorable wave of nationalism. Nehru walked among the masses as one of the few leaders revered by people from all strata of society. He ate their food, stayed in their hovels and wore the kurta (local native attire) to drive home the message that he was there with them in spirit and in person.
For his courage of conviction and compassion for the people he had chosen to lead, the name Nehru was spoken with great reverence among the common folk, even till today. India should be proud that in her history there once strode a man named Jawaharlal Nehru.
If one desires to understand India, her people, and history, this book will serve as a great introduction. A study of India cannot be complete without learning about
Nehru the politician, the husband, the son and the voice of the Indian masses.
While this is not light reading, those who dare to walk along side with Nehru as he trudges down the long and winding path he once took will find the rewards enormously satisfying.

A Course In Miracles - by Helen Schucman

IF YOU are faced with a choice of reading only one book for the rest of your life, let it be this one. A Course In Miracles (ACIM) is certainly the most amazing book I have read in my entire life.
It is actually a three-in-one book. The fi rst volume is the Text; the second is Workbook for Students and the third, Manual for Teachers.
Originally, it was published separately in three parts, but ACIM - as it is generally called - has now been merged into one book.
This book was birthed under unusual circumstances. The writer is Helen Schucman, a research psychologist as well as an associate professor of medical psychology. Schucman referred to herself as the "scribe".
Schucman had made public that the writing in this book was through inner dictation. She said she was aided in the process by Dr William Thetford, who was a professor of medical psychology.
ACIM is a comprehensive self-study spiritual-thought system. It does not impose any special conditions on the part of the reader except a willingness to partake in its lessons.
In its introduction, it says: "This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you can establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you want to take at a given time.
The course does not aim at
teaching the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It does aim, however, at removing the blocks to the awareness of love's presence, which is your natural inheritance. The opposite of love is fear, but what is allencompassing can have no opposite." Even though this book is all about spirituality, the writer herself is a self-professed atheist.
Schucman said: "I do not believe what has been written but I do know the principles work." A strange statement about an otherwise astounding book.
ACIM was published in 1975 and has since been translated into nine other languages with another 11 in the translation process.
This book alters a person's perception of life in general. It teaches you to "see" beyond what is before your eyes. It makes you understand the link of all that exists and what can never die. The whole message of ACIM can be distilled into just a few lines. They are: "Nothing real can be threatened.
Nothing unreal exists. Herein lies the peace of God." ACIM changes your life if you allow it to. It alters an individual's sense of perception and transports you to another level of consciousness. If you have the discipline to follow the 365 lessons in the Workbook for Students, it will clear your mind, unlock your heart and free your soul to wander to its real home.
In its 30 years of existence, it has spread its message and lessons across the world. This book cannot be found in bookshops. It can only be obtained from its source, the Foundation For Inner Peace, through the Internet.

Thinking About The Unthinkable by Herman Kahn

HERMAN Kahn was a military strategist who played war games in the borderless battlefi eld of his mind. Noted to be one of the most brilliant minds of the 20th century, Kahn was an employee of the Rand Corporation in America in the volatile `50s and the rocking `60s.
It has been noted that Herman Kahn had no experience in actual warfare but his contributions as a systems theorist and military strategist at Rand thrust him onto the forefront of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and US in the 1950s and 1960s. Kahn's seminal work on thinking about the unthinkable had probably helped shape America's nuclear strategy for the next two generations.
Kahn was the only strategist at that time who dared to examine the brutal realities of a world gone mad. Thus was born the well-known doctrine of Mutual Assured Destruction or MAD. Kahn was also responsible for bringing to the world's attention, phrases like "overkill", and "massive retaliation".
Kahn had earlier gained prominence when he published an earlier work entitled On Thermonuclear War in 1961. That laid the groundwork for Thinking About The Unthinkable in 1962. This book is all about the
shocking possibilities and counter-measures if a nuclear war were to took place between USSR and the US. Kahn's argument for engaging in mental analysis of an extremely daunting subject was that "it wasn't immoral to think about these things; on the contrary - planning for nuclear contingencies in the event deterrence fails is the only responsible, prudent and moral cause".
To help readers and his detractors to emotionally comprehend the concepts of thermonuclear war, Kahn used anecdotal illustrations and "Gedanken" experiments. Gedanken is German for "thought", and a Gedanken experiment is an analytical tool in physics and philosophy. Its aim is to argue to a satisfying conclusion all the potential consequences of an intended experiment in accordance with the laws of nature, in this case, nuclear war.
Thinking About The Unthinkable is for those who want to know the outbreak scenario, earth shock, environmental problems, genetic effects, medical aftereffects and social and political changes concerning nuclear war.
Even though the grim subject and its related topics are unpalatable for most ordinary citizens, Kahn's thoughts and their relation to global political stability in the 21st century cannot be underestimated. A discussion of mass extermination of the human race is not exactly breakfast fodder, but it is definitely food for thought in the context of present political circumstances in parts of the Middle East and Asia in present day.
If mankind were to avert such an outcome or even to think of eliminating the factors that could lead to such a horrific situation, it is prudent that man must cultivate a deep understanding of the complete scenario. Herman Kahn has clearly provided us with some vital tools that would help in defusing such an explosive issue.

The Importance of Living by Lin Yu-tang

PUBLISHED in 1937, this book has found its way into the private libraries of book readers and collectors who consider this tome by Professor Lin Yutang as one of the most enlightening ever published before World War II.
It expounds the simple joys of living that are constantly overlooked by many of us. The answers to peace of mind and to live with a perpetual smile are found in the classic Chinese philosophy of looking for the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Lin has an easy way with English which he uses to communicates his philosophy of life with great finesse. With most books that touch on any philosophy of the gentler kind, understanding of the subject by the reader is crucial.
Lin's clarity of ideas is done with humour that is very much part of his persona. Thus, in a relaxed and easy manner, his ideas seem most logical and agreeable even to the most cynical among us. The writer was born on October 19, 1895, in Fujian, southeastern China. He obtained his bachelor's degree at the St. John's University in Shanghai. His academic excellence earned him a partial scholarship for a PhD programme at Harvard University.
However, he didn't complete his stay at Harvard and moved on to France and later Germany. It was in Germany where he completed his PhD course. Lin then went on to teach English literature at Peking University.
Lin Yutang's childhood memories of his mountainous hometown remained with him his entire life. Much of what he loved about country living was reflected in The Importance of Living.
Metaphorically, this book is like walking on the beach early in the morning and witnessing the splendour of dawn as light peeks over the distant mountain top. Lin has a knack of reminding us of what's really important in life.
Some of the most pleasurable and greatest moments of an individual's life are found in simple activities like hearing the rustling of the wind through the trees, or watching the rain sweeping gently across the land.
This book and his earlier work, My Country My People (1935), established Lin's reputation around the world. Lin once remarked that he was a man whose feet were firmly planted on the East while his head hovered in the West.
Throughout his life, one of his chief aims was to build a bridge over the cultural chasm between the West and the East. His fame stretched beyond the borders of his homeland and lasted longer than his lifespan of 81 years.
The following quotation from The Importance of Living reflects Lin's understanding of life and his countrymen: "One can learn such a lot and enjoy such a lot in 70 years, and three generations is a long, long time to see human follies and acquire human wisdom. Anyone who is wise and has lived long enough to witness the changes of fashion and morals and politics through the rise and fall of three generations should be perfectly satisfied to rise from his seat and go away saying `It was a
good show,' when the curtain falls."
A reader of this book will have the same feeling when he finishes it.