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I am constantly on the lookout for new books that I can devour. One book that recently caught my attention was titled “What Can I Give?”. It is authored by Srijan Pal Singh, a student of the Late Dr Abdul Kalam, President of India. I was curious to see what the book had to offer.
- Book Title: What Can I Give – Life lessons from My Teacher – Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam
- Cost: INR 244.96 on Amazon
- Publisher: Penguin Books
I picked up a copy from an online store. Titled “What Can I Give – Life lessons from My Teacher – Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam“, I expected the book to narrate a few handpicked anecdotes from his glorious life. However, I am pleasantly proven wrong.
Table of Contents
I was Blown Away
To tell you the truth, I was blown away by the book. This book goes much beyond that. It was a mini-biography of ‘The Missile Man’ – one that did tonnes of justice to the splendid life the man preached and lived. Filled with anecdotes, real-life humour of Dr Kalam, the deep philosophical insights he had on how to stay content in life while aspiring for the best you can contribute back to the society.
Who can read it?
Written in a simple to follow English, this book is a must read for all students, irrespective of age. The book is very relatable manner and will leave you smiling at some sections and in tears at other places. Students will definitely love this book as Srijan Pal Singh writes in the same simple manner as his teacher.
What can I give?
The book gives ideas on simple everyday things you can do as a young person that will enable you to give back to your family, friends, society, community and country.
One example that Dr Kalam mentions is the act of calling up your parents every day at least to say a ‘hello’ or a ‘hi’. Simple, isn’t it? You are giving them the joy, the satisfaction of having reared you and knowing that you care for them.
2 Life Lessons from the Book
“Criticism is a debt, that needs to be paid off with applause”
Srijan speaks of the time when discussing the morning paper headlines with Dr Kalam had become the daily routine. He cites the quotation above from Dr Kalam himself. Dr Kalam used to strongly believe that when you criticize somebody, follow them closely and the moment they do something good, pay off the debt of criticism with applause.
Such a lovely life lesson for all of us who love to criticize without a break on our social media walls, but will never applause the good work done by a person.
Expand the circle of people whose happiness makes you happy
Celebrate others success as though it were your own. That way you expand your circle of people whose happiness makes you happy. Another wonderful life lesson condensed into a one-liner.
My Recommendation
You should definitely read and share this book with your friends, family and people around you. You will thank me for it and they will thank you for it 🙂
