Book Review: Ancient Chants for Modern Living by Aatmanika Ram

Title: Ancient Chants for Modern Living
Author: Aatmanika Ram
Publisher: Westland

About the Author:

Aatmanika Ram was born and raised in India and has lived and worked in several countries in North America, South East Asia and the Middle East. The exposure to varied cultures, her strong family-centered values and her innate curiosity have driven her to explore and write about her life experiences in “Shells on the Beach – an anthology”; her artistic taste and the desire to bring out the essence of good human values has found expression in the poetic fiction, “The Rose Petal Trail – A Sutra for timeless love”.

Review:

In the introductory chapter of her book, Ancient Chants for Modern Living, Aatmanika Ram has posed several questions that nettle people in their everyday life. One question that really got me going was why should life always be about making choices? It is a profound question with no simple answer. The writer agrees as much and does not claim to hand over a key to the reader to unlock the mysteries of life through her book. What she professes are time-tested nuggets of advice passed down through generations but which have somewhat lost their initial shine amidst the grindings of modern life.

Aatmanika attempts to harness the benefits of chanting shlokas to help overcome day to day problems affecting the modern world. It is widely known that chanting shlokas bring a lot of peace to the mind and body and this book helps the readers to understand how and where to use the shlokas to reap the benefits. In the words of the writer herself, everybody wants not just a grand finale for their lives but also a great beginning and memorable chapters in the middle. To achieve this we need proper guidance. Ancient Chants for Modern Living provides that much needed guidance in the form of a well written book.

One of the things I really enjoy in a book is practicality. I want something that applies to me. This book does exactly that. It applies to me, and you, today and every day. The intention of the book is not to fill the reader’s mind with information and make one feel overwhelmed, but to show that there is always a light during dark times. As such it is a neat package that combines recommendations for a balanced diet with healing yoga practices, chanting of shlokas and a correct attitude towards life for an overall individual growth.

Full of gems for both the young and the old, I recommend this book to anyone who feels lost and in need of some steering.  

Buy Link:

Amazon

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review her book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading! 

Book Review: Life Mantras by Saharasri Subrata Roy Sahara

Title: Life Mantras
Author: Saharasri Subrata Roy Sahara
Pages: 298
Publisher: Rupa Publications India
Price: 200.00 INR

Review

Life Mantras is the first book in a scheduled trilogy, Thoughts from Tihar, penned by “Saharasri” Subrata Roy Sahara, the founder of Sahara India Parivar. The other two books of the trilogy ‘Think with Me: How to make our country ideal’ and ‘Reflections from Tihar: Observations in Tihar Jail’ will be released in quick succession.

Not to be misunderstood as a biography, this book isn’t about his life but his take on things and about philosophies of life. The philosophy shared in the book is the product of the author’s trials, tribulations and life lessons. The simple and basic ideologies shared by the author will have the readers pondering about life for a very long time. He indulges the philosophical views on knowledge, intelligence, basic values of life, various emotions, and such other things.

The book is divided into fifteen sections, each dealing with a different issue. It establishes the principles of truth that are integral to each one of us but which, more often than not, gets lost in the multiple folds of everyday living. Incarceration has led to many books that have enriched us for ages. Great leaders and writers have taken up the pen to utilize profitably the time that their caged situation offered them. Even in the face of adversity, these men and women have not only survived but emerged as polished gems. This book is not merely a constructive use of the author’s time, rather a treasure trove of advices from a great thinker.

In the word of Subrata Roy, if one could identify and adopt the ‘life mantras,’ that person would be better positioned to realize that life is a blissful journey. He is not advocating any theories, merely speaking his mind. His writing is conversational. It is much like hearing the man speaking from a podium. There’s even a question /answer segment that forms the essence of what he has shared in the previous pages.

About the Author

 Subrata Roy Sahara (born 1948) popularly known as 'Saharasri', is one of the most successful, bold, vociferous and talked-about figures of corporate India. When he laid the foundation of Sahara India Pariwar in 1978 with a capital of `2,000 (about $32) and three workers, who would have imagined his company's meteoric rise to a worth of `1,80,000 crore (about $27 billion) within a span of thirty-seven years! A teacher, guide and a proud guardian to his over 1.2 million fellow workers, he ascribes his success to his philosophy of 'Collective Materialism' which means continuous collective growth for collective sharing and caring. Renowned institutions like Harvard School of Business, USA; the Indian Institutes of Technology; the Indian Institutes of Management; and Banaras Hindu University have invited him to address their faculty and students, besides which, a host of awards have been bestowed on him that include the 'Indian Business Icon of the Year' at the Powerbrands Hall of Fame Awards in London; the Doctor of Business (honoris causa) by the University of East London; and the highest honorary degree, 'D. Litt.' by the Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Bihar for his contributions in various fields. 

I'd like to thank the author for letting me review his book. I do hope you end up liking the book when you read it. Thank you so much for stopping by, and happy reading!