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Long before the blitz of ‘modern age’ wiped away our patience, it was stories that were the most potent medium to transfer the accumulated wisdom of mankind. From politics to spirituality, and from commerce to war, stories were used as a knowledge tool. The bestselling author, voracious reader and accomplished technology professional that Dev Prasad is, he always felt the irresistible need of reinventing and revitalizing storytelling to address problems of modern-day living. The present volume is born of that effort. More than a carefully collated anthology of tales both ancient and new, and anecdotes, both personal and apocryphal, From Vedanta to WhatsApp is meant to be a ready reckoner for one and all, as we wade through the challenges of everyday life. So keep that smartphone away and dive into the addictive world of storytelling!
From the Publisher
A Conversation with Dev Prasad
Why is your book titled Vedanta to WhatsApp?
India is a land of storytelling and storytellers. Storytelling has always been a part of our tradition and rich cultural heritage. Ramayana and Mahabharata are two of the greatest ancient epics that India gave to the world. These epics chronicle hundreds of stories and anecdotes, and each of them comes with many life lessons. Indians are not only good at writing stories but also at narrating them. Our parents fondly recollect their childhood days when they would sit on the lap of their grandparents and listen to the enthralling tales of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
My Book contains inspirational stories from ancient Indian texts to the modern anecdotes that you read nowadays on WhatsApp. Hence the title ‘From Vedanta to WhatsApp’.
In the book you pose a question, When faced with an adversity, how do you respond? Like a carrot or an egg or the coffee beans? Could you elaborate on this interesting bit?
In our personal and professional lives, we observe different people reacting differently while facing the same kind of adversity. Just like the carrots, egg, and coffee beans. Many of us exhibit the ‘carrot’ behaviour. Under normal circumstances, we are strong and tough but we wilt under pressure. This is a sign of weakness. When we are faced with an adversity, we should become tougher and not give up like the carrot that turns soft in boiling water. Some of us also behave like the egg; we might be otherwise soft and fluid like the yolk inside the shell, but we have the tendency to become hard when facing the heat. These are the compassionate, gentle people who are easy to get along with under normal circumstances. However, the moment they face a problem, their nature undergoes a sea change.
They become hard, tough, and inflexible like a hardboiled egg. The ideal behaviour would be that of the coffee beans. Not only does it change itself but it changes the properties of the hot water too. As the water turns hot, the coffee beans release its fragrance and aroma into the water. Thanks to the coffee beans, what was once a tasteless liquid now turns into a tasty drink. Under normal circumstances, coffee beans do not exhibit great taste. In fact, they taste quite bitter. However, the moment they are added to hot water, they exhibit their flavour and aroma. Great leaders behave like coffee beans. They reserve their best for adverse situations. Coffee beans are more effective when put in boiling water compared to lukewarm water. Similarly, the more severe the adversity the better is the output of these great leaders.
You emphasize the importance of teamwork in any human endeavour while giving example of Brooklyn bridge. Could you explain more and how it can be used in our daily existence?
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the most spectacular structures built by mankind in the world. It is the first steel-wire-suspension bridge constructed anywhere. Since its opening in 1883, it has been an icon of New York City and was designated a ‘National Historic Landmark’ and ‘National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark’ by the USA. But the Brooklyn Bridge is not merely an iconic structure; it stands for many other things. It is a tribute to the indomitable spirit of two visionaries and to their steely determination. It stands for the fantastic teamwork exhibited by the construction engineers and workers towards realizing the dream of a man and shaping it into reality. It stands for the love and devotion of a wife who, for thirteen long years, kept decoding her husband’s messages and helped in the construction of one the most magnificent feats of engineering in the world. While most of us would shun away from performing even mundane household chores when we have a minor illness or an injury, here we come across a man who faced seemingly insurmountable disabilities and yet built one of the most magnificent bridges in the world!
The importance of communication in a society can never be undermined. But are we communicating properly? Are we listening? Q5) How do you evaluate social media as a tool for human communication?
With the advent of Facebook, WhatsApp and other Social Media Tools, storytelling has assumed a completely different character. For one, now thousands of inspirational stories are shared on social media groups like WhatsApp. I myself receive some twenty to twenty-five inspirational quotes and messages every day. I have always wondered how many people genuinely read these messages and more importantly, how many really imbibe and implement them. My own guess is that there is very little of knowledge being gained due to ‘information overload’. When your WhatsApp groups receive hundreds of messages, videos, audio files and quotes, how do you expect to read all of them ? I don’t read most of the so-called ‘WhatsApp forwards’.
Added to the above problem is the issue of ‘fake news’. With various Photoshop Tools available, it is very tough to distinguish between ‘fake news’ and the genuine ones.
Having said that, if used properly, Social Media can be a great Tool for human communication. The pros far outweigh the cons.
We are living in times where attention has become a huge resource. Everyone is trying to catch each other’s attention. What message you plan to give through your book?
Though WhatsApp and Facebook are the most popular social media platforms, they are probably not the most effective means to narrate stories or change people’s lives. Hence, I abandoned my initial thoughts of telling stories on WhatsApp and Facebook, and decided to express my thoughts through a conventional book. My book contains inspirational life stories that attempts to change your lives. Though the anecdotes have been based on the stories taken from a wide range of sources, from ancient Indian texts to the modern social media, they are narrated in my own style and words. Most stories end with my own personal experiences, views, and a few takeaways.
Publisher : Rupa Publications India (24 May 2019)
Language : English
Paperback : 272 pages
ISBN-10 : 9353334470
ISBN-13 : 978-9353334475
Item Weight : 268 g
Dimensions : 12.85 x 1.45 x 19.84 cm
Country of Origin : India
