Wednesday 18 March 2020

Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur - A Book Review






Author- Jason Kothari

Publishers- HarperBusiness (11 March 2020)

Language: English

Pages- 268 pages 

Book Review- ‘Irrationally Passionate: My Turnaround from Rebel to Entrepreneur-’ is an autobiography of Jason Kothari, an entrepreneur, and business turnaround leader. Books belonging to this genre seldom appeal to me for the simple reason that they tend to veer towards one of the two extremes- self-glorification or self-deprecation. To my pleasant surprise, this book manages to tread the fine line adroitly.

The insecurities of a young Jason, his brash adolescence and rebellious youth are captured in detail. The story never meanders and keeps the reader hooked to the chain of events. You tend to empathize with Jason and even root for him when he is going through a turmoil-personal or professional. Herein lies the beauty of this book. His journey from a ‘rebel without a cause’ to an entrepreneur par excellence, is good enough to be narrated in management schools.

The writer refrains from using melodrama to highlight his struggles; instead, he tends to underplay the current of emotions that he undergoes. The language is crisp and the narrative lucid. Heavy jargon related to management tools is minimally used. Even a layman can read this book and identify with the skill set of Jason. I would recommend this book to every budding entrepreneur as there are many takeaways as you turn the pages-268 only, ensuring that the reader doesn’t lose focus.

There are times when the storyline tends to project Jason as a superhero, especially during his stint in a martial camp in Thailand but at just the right moment, the writer showcases the follies of the protagonist, making him appear an ordinary human being. What could easily have been a hagiography is salvaged by some very smart writing. By the time you finish reading this book, you will be in awe of Jason Kothari. At the same time, you will be instilled with a feeling- If he can, why can’t I? This, in my eyes, is Jason Kothari’s victory in more ways than one- igniting hope in the mind of every struggling entrepreneur. And as Jason points out in the ‘Author’s Note’, this book is an attempt to help upcoming entrepreneurs embrace the challenges that they inevitably are going to face on the long and lonely path to success in this cutthroat realm.

Personally, my takeaway from this book is – ‘Limits are illusions’. If you put your heart to it, nothing is impossible. You can be as invincible as the superhero characters in the comics that young Jason used to read…and trade.

Verdict- A must-read. Unputdownable.

Tuesday 19 November 2019

WINTER




I love it when the winter comes
The winds that chill
And thrills with chums
I love it when the winter comes

The snowman with a carrot nose
Midnight meet with Santa Claus
Yummy cakes, raisins and plums
I love it when the winter comes

The amity that ‘Lohri’ brings
When Mom dances and Daddy sings
The guitar that my sister strums
I love it when the winter comes

(Anurag Shourie)








Thursday 14 November 2019

कोहरा









मम्मी, ये कोहरा काला क्यों है?
दूषित हर निवाला क्यों है?
क्यों दम घुटता है रोज़ मेरा?
खेतों में इतनी ज्वाला क्यों है?
क्यों फूल नहीं हैं बागों में?
न मिठास कोयल के रागों में
जंगल में पशु पंछी हैं
पेड़ों को काट डाला क्यों है?
क्या यही मेरी विरासत है?
नहीं तुमने की हिफाज़त है
इस धरती का और हम सब का
आस्तित्व मिटने वाला क्यों है?

(अनुराग शौरी )


Thursday 13 June 2019

“कविता”




‘गुलज़ार’ जैसी शायरी
मुझसे ना हो पाएगी
ना ‘शिव’ की ही तर्ज़ पर
‘लूना’ लिखी जाएगी
‘ग़ालिब’ का अंदाज़-ए-ब्यान
मेरे बस की बात नहीं
अल्फाज़ों से तस्वीर बने
इतनी मेरी औकात नहीं
लिखता हूँ जज़्बातों से
जब ये मन भर जाता है
हर आँसू जो बहा नहीं
इक कविता कहलाता है
(अनुराग शौरी)