This is one of the many quotes that are in ‘When You Know, You Know’ by Gauri Budh. Through this book the author imparts wisdom, be it through personal accounts but mostly through understandings that all humans know or eventually come to know but aren’t aware of them Most of the time while reading the book, I found myself nodding to the words I was reading- as I said, there’s nothing in here that we don’t already know. It’s just that the author shoved the spotlight and made it clear as day.
INITIAL THOUGHTS
One of things that stood out to me strongly about this book was that some of the chapters follow a sort of linearity- there was a connection between the previous and current chapter. The other chapters were filled with a random order of knowledge that the author wished to share. At times, it did feel a bit confusing to follow what exactly the author was trying to say but that doesn’t mean that the meaning in its entirety was lost.
This is one of those books where you could flip to any page and read it and you will be able to learn something. You could start reading from the middle or end and it would still make sense.
There is this one chapter where the author re-accounts her visit to Adelaide where she struck up a conversation with the owner of a ‘fruit cafe’. While he talked about his life he said ,’I used to wonder if I had navigated my life in the direction of my life’s purpose. Regardless of living fully, I felt incomplete.’ This through me into surprise because I originally thought that if one followed their passions then they could lead a happy life. I came to the realization that no matter how much one plans their life, life will always through curve balls and the decisions that we are forced to make end up determining what kind of life we will eventually lead.
WHO THIS BOOK SHOULD BE READ BY
I believe that the intended audience for this book is 20 and above. The author mentions from time to time the art of balancing work life and personal life and how making money should not be the only goal of life. I think that this book especially should be read by college students and people working at corporate.
For a debut work, the author does a brilliant job of capturing the essence of human life and its meaning. One thing to note is that she doesn’t use complicated vocabulary- using simple yet effective words she managed to get the message across. Maintaining a humble demeanour, the author emphasizes the importance of evolution in terms of thought. She stresses on the fact that to grow, one must learn to open his eyes and really look at the world. That it is easy to go about one’s own perspective but it takes a certain kind of patience to understand from another perspective.
Her encounters with her family members are relatable, I think that at some point, all of us have sat down and had deep conversations with our family.
The author writes, on the first page itself-’You will be asked to have an open mind before reading this. This might resonate with some and not with others.’ This rings true because not everyone has the same mindset nor the same capacity for understanding. She continues-’Please take what suits and leave the rest behind. Your soul is important to you, and it must be fed with what is best for it.’
I think that sums up the book- it is food for the soul.
FINAL CONCLUSION
I am repeating myself when I say that everything in this book has been said before, but what makes this one stand out is the author’s way of putting it out on display. I highly recommend this book to those who are lost or those who are currently standing at a crossroad- this book is for you.
You can buy this book on Amazon as a paperback or as an e-book on other platforms.
