An overly complex philosophy of life, followed by a more persuasive guide to finding fulfillment.
Pradhan examines what he sees as the factors that drive decision-making and the practices that lead to happiness.
The author begins with the insight that if the outcome of one’s beliefs and actions is not happiness, there must be something wrong with them; he likens this to a recipe with an unpalatable result, in which one must find the ingredient that needs to be changed. He posits a similar question regarding generally unhappy lives: What needs to be changed? “Remember the way you think, your consciousness, your belief system—it is not you. And when it is not you, it can be changed,” he advises. The book’s first half explains the three mental elements that he believes direct our decisions—strong desire, compulsion, and confusion—as well as resultant actions and emotions that result from these. The concepts encompass an original philosophy based on the author’s observations; he doesn’t claim any authority as an academic, spiritual teacher, or cultural leader, but he does conduct seminars and workshops based on his ideas. He includes allegorical stories to explain these concepts—including an extended piece about an eventful Sunday—which are multiple pages long and somewhat dense. Despite this complexity, the book has practical value—particularly in its 10 practices that the author claims will lead to a happy life, which include early waking, exercise and yoga, a healthy diet, proper hygiene, and other activities. Indeed, the second half of the book might have been more effective as a standalone guide, as it’s more accessible than earlier sections.
An overly complex philosophy of life, followed by a more persuasive guide to finding fulfillment.Pub Date: Jan. 11, 2023
ISBN: 9781543708684
Page Count: 486
Publisher: PartridgeIndia
Review Posted Online: April 29, 2023
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.
A noted actor turns to verse: “Poems are a Saturday in the middle of the week.”
McConaughey, author of the gracefully written memoir Greenlights, has been writing poems since his teens, closing with one “written in an Australian bathtub” that reads just as a poem by an 18-year-old (Rimbaud excepted) should read: “Ignorant minds of the fortunate man / Blind of the fate shaping every land.” McConaughey is fearless in his commitment to the rhyme, no matter how slight the result (“Oops, took a quick peek at the sky before I got my glasses, / now I can’t see shit, sure hope this passes”). And, sad to say, the slight is what is most on display throughout, punctuated by some odd koanlike aperçus: “Eating all we can / at the all-we-can-eat buffet, / gives us a 3.8 education / and a 4.2 GPA.” “Never give up your right to do the next right thing. This is how we find our way home.” “Memory never forgets. Even though we do.” The prayer portion of the program is deeply felt, but it’s just as sentimental; only when he writes of life-changing events—a court appearance to file a restraining order against a stalker, his decision to quit smoking weed—do we catch a glimpse of the effortlessly fluent, effortlessly charming McConaughey as exemplified by the David Wooderson (“alright, alright, alright”) of Dazed and Confused. The rest is mostly a soufflé in verse. McConaughey’s heart is very clearly in the right place, but on the whole the book suggests an old saw: Don’t give up your day job.
It’s not Shakespeare, not by a long shot. But at least it’s not James Franco.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781984862105
Page Count: 208
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Aug. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2025
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