Thursday, January 21, 2016

Essential Books for Navigating through Life

Everyone needs guidance when it comes to life. Life, being the unpredictable thing it is, throws curveballs at us when we least expect it to. More often than not, we find ourselves at crossroads where the wrong decision can seriously change the entire course of our life. Then who can we trust for savage advice? Some look to their parents, teachers or friends but even they can fail to help sometimes.

My most reliable advisor when it comes to life is books. They are trusted by thousands and reachable at all times. You can go back to the same thing any time you want. And over time they are really been tried and tested and proven their worth. Here is a list of my most reliable books for navigating through life:

1) The Vedas: I'm not religious; I'm an atheist. However, knowledge has no religion or it is a religion in itself. The Vedas are the key to life. They cover everything from mortal ailments of the body to the spiritual ones of the soul. There are four Vedas namely- Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda. Rig Veda is the oldest and answers Metaphysical questions such as "what is the origin of the world?" or "what is life?” It is about spirituality. Sama Veda also is an extension of Rig Veda and deals with spirituality. Yajur Veda talks about life and structure. It accounts the various rituals of the Vedic era. Atharva Veda talks about remedies, herbs and practices which can heal the body. I have not been able to complete them but I'm confident one day I will.

2) The Art of War by Sun Tzu: This Chinese text from 5th century BC has been a guiding manual to the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, and Pretty Little Liars. It consists of thirteen subsections and each section talks about different war strategies. But these strategies are also relevant to business, politics etc.

3) The Fountainhead: I'm a fan of this book. It is a work of fiction but in my opinion it is the best book out there. It talks of a man who cares about nothing but doing the best he can. He cares not about fame, money or craves any such materialistic desires but he wants to be great at what he does. It is noble goal and a personal one for me. I just love this book.

4) Tuesdays with Morrie : It is about an old man, at the end of his life, passing on his life lessons to the next generation. This book got pretty real at times but it is an insightful read.

5) Any Book by Dr Seuss. I know it sounds childish but even Dr Sheldon Cooper, in his time of doubt, refers the great doctors’ texts.

The above mentioned books are very close to my heart and I recommend them to anyone who needs guidance in life. Hope this helps.


This blog post is inspired by the blogging marathon hosted on IndiBlogger for the launch of the #Fantastico Zica from Tata Motors. You can apply for a test drive of the hatchback Zica today.


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