Book Review
By Anil Raturi
“Achieving Meaningful Success”
Author: Dr Vivek Mansingh,
Penguin Random House India, 2022
Pgs 301,
Price Rs 399
Since time immemorial, various philosophers and life gurus have been trying to unravel the mystery about what is the best way to achieve success.
Any worthwhile mantra for “Meaningful Success” should adequately equip
people with the ability to satisfy their temporal and spiritual needs. It should also bring to them feelings of fulfilment and contentment.
Dr Vivek Mansingh’s recently published book, “Achieving Meaningful Success”, effectively addresses this important subject. Dr Vivek Mansingh is a successful global leader, innovator, entrepreneur and author.
He has worked with iconic leaders like Steve Jobs, Bill Hewlett, Michael Dell, David Packard and John Chambers.
His book is a useful tool kit for those who seek success with poise and balance in life!
In his book, Dr Mansingh has succinctly presented pragmatic lessons culled from his own life as well as from the experience of other renowned global leaders.
Appropriate inventions and innovations improve the quality of human life. They also foster wealth creation for a society and its individuals. A nation’s sustainability depends on the creativity of its people. In an otherwise finite life, the human ability to imagine is infinite! The beauty of the human mind is sublime! Each individual is unique in their intellect, wisdom and talent. However, tapping one’s own creativity is a formidable challenge. It requires the channelling of one’s IQ and EQ in a disciplined manner.
Dr Mansingh’s book can be a practical guide for budding leaders. It provides methods for individuals to capture their aspirations,
fix life goals and unleash creativity!
While focusing on excellence and professionalism, the book lays equal stress on the value of commitment to the core human relationships in one’s life.
The book also contains interviews of celebrated leaders such as Ratan Tata, Narayan Murthy, Rahul Dravid, Prakash Padukone and John Chambers. These interviews can be very useful for aspiring leaders as they effectively bring out the crystallised wisdom of these renowned personalities.
Perhaps, the narrative of the book could have been even more effective if its tone had been less didactic. Notwithstanding that, the book is certainly a useful guide for future leaders in pursuit of success.
RW Emerson defined success as the following: “To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.”
Dr Vivek Mansingh’s book captures this spirit and more.
(Anil Raturi is a former DGP, Uttarakhand)
