Excerpts From the Publishers Weekly review as published on the Amazon web page ..

Yet another easily digestible social marketplace commentary from the blogger/author who penned Purple Cow and Small is the New Big, Godin prescribes a cleverly counter-intuitive way to approach one’s potential for success.

Smart, honest, and refreshingly free of self-help posturing, this primer on winning-through-quitting is at once motivational and comically indifferent, making the lofty goal of “becoming the best in the world” an achievable proposition-all you need is to “start doing some quitting.” The secret to “strategic quitting” is seeking, understanding and embracing “the Dip,” “the long slog between starting and mastery” in which those without the determination or will find themselves burning out.

It is hard to find something cool about a psychologist writing another one of those books on motivation, be it a self-helper, a ‘call for action’ or simple jane’s ‘confidence builder’. Not when you are Carol Dweck and your research is being talked about as the next hot thing in developmental psychology though. In her new book titled “The handbook of competence and motivation”, Carol Dweck provides a new dimension to some widely accepted notions on what comprises a “Growth Mindset” - an attitude which believes that values need necessarily not be inherent but can be acquired over time.

In contrast to centuries of accepted wisdom that there is a set of characteristic traits that make a leader, Carol is trying to drive the notion that the most effective leaders could often be associated with a ‘Growth Mindset‘, more of a ‘rapid,

4.2/5

My wife and I loved the movie and were thoroughly entertained by the cheeky flavor of comedy that pervaded the first few minutes of this crossover. I think Mira Nair is yet to produce her best ever and part of the reason might be that she gets better every time (leaving her first ever aside ofcourse) !

“I had no sense of losing a parent or parent-figure at that time”, said Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of ‘Namesake’ in an interview, sitting along with Mira, “”But I was watching what it was like for my parents to lose those dear to them in another country. More importantly, I was just coming to the age I saw my parents’ friends lose someone close to them to a heart attack and cancer.”

I guess that meant the book was supposed to be in part, a memoir of a person who experiences paternal loss and begins searching for his roots, while standing strong on his context, and in part, an ode to the loss of context that an immigrant experiences as he tries to make home in a foreign land, away from his roots.

Somewhere in the last few scenes of the movie, I feel that Mira Nair might has subtly transformed Gogol’s character to a much more sentimental, reasonably shaken and fragile one than the book originally intended it to be. Although, the brilliant movie maker that she is, she pulled it nicely together by throwing the audience back to a page right in the middle of the book where the Dad and Son take this small little walk to where “there is no where else left to go”. That pleased the reader in me well enough to go “Now THAT is an ending!” because I knew that the book had no cinematic appeal to how it ended and I was wondering what Mira saw fit to conclude this part love story, part melancholy and part ode.

WHY DO WE DO AARATI?

Towards the end of every ritualistic worship (pooja or bhajan)
of the Lord or to welcome an honored guest or saint,
we perform the aarati.
This is always accompanied by the ringing of
the bell and sometimes by singing, playing of musical instruments
and clapping.
It is one of the sixteen steps (shodasha upachaara) of the pooja ritual.
It is referred to as the lighted lamp in the right hand,

WHY DO WE CHANT OM?

Om is one of the most chanted sound symbols in India.
It has a profound effect on the body and
mind of the one who chants and also on the surroundings.
Most mantras and vedic prayers start with Om.
All auspicious actions begin with Om.
It is even used as a greeting - Om, Hari Om etc.
It is repeated as a mantra or meditated upon.
Its form is worshipped, contemplated upon or used
as an auspicious sign.
Om is the universal name of the Lord.
It is made up of the letters -
A (phonetically as in “around”),

WHY DO WE OFFER A COCONUT?

In India one of the most common offerings in a temple is a Coconut.
It is also offered on occasions like weddings, festivals,
the use of a new vehicle, bridge, house etc.
It is offered in the sacrificial fire whilst performing homa.
The coconut is broken and placed before the Lord.
It is later distributed as Prasaada.
The Fibre covering of the dried coconut is removed
except for a tuft on the top.
The marks on the coconut make it look like the head of a
human being.
The coconut is broken, symbolizing the breaking of the ego.
The juice within, representing the inner tendencies (vaasanas)
is offered along with the white kernel - the mind, to the Lord.
A mind thus purified by the touch of the Lord is used as prasaada
( a holy gift).
In the traditional abhishekha ritual done in all temples and many homes,
several materials are poured over the deity like milk, curd, honey,
tender coconut water, sandal paste, holy ash etc.
Each material has a specific significance of bestowing certain
benefits on worshippers.
Tender coconut water is used in abhisheka rituals since it is believed to
bestow spiritual growth on the seeker.
The coconut also symbolizes selfless service.
Every part of the tree -the trunk, leaves, fruit, coir etc. is used in
innumerable ways like thatches, mats, tasty dishes, oil, soap etc.
It takes in even salty water from the earth and converts it
into sweet nutritive water that is especially beneficial to sick people.
It is used in the preparation of many ayurvedic medicines
and in other alternative medicinal systems.
The marks on the coconut are even thought to represent
the three-eyed Lord Shiva and therefore it is considered
to be a means to fulfill our desires.

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To be continued as HINDUISM - 22 / 23

WHY DO WE SAY SHAANTI THRICE?

Shaanti, meaning “peace”, is a natural state of being.
Disturbances are created either by others or us.
For example, peace already exists in a place until someone makes noise.
Therefore, peace underlies all our agitations.
When agitations end, peace is naturally experienced since it was already there.
Where there is peace, there is happiness.
Therefore, every one without exception desires peace in his/her life.