Life – An Odyssey Time-tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems For the last 20 years, the author has been writing motivational articles in national and international magazines and journals, giving guidance to readers for leading a fuller life. Working at a senior management level in a well-known pharmaceutical company, the well-read author, a qualified medical doctor, is eminently suitable to write on this subject. The book is divided into 35 chapters. Each chapter carries a message or an aphorism or a mantra as the author would like to call it – a deep and hidden meaning which can be understood by awakening your wisdom. Facing the challenges of life, with equanimity, is essential to achieve physical and mental happiness. It requires deep reflection and introspection by going to the bottom of one’s self. The author, during this journey gives the readers numerous examples and quotations from extraordinary philosophers and saints who have made a stunning impact on human civilization. There are anecdotes of how courageous people conquered all odds to overcome obstacles to lead a fulfilling life. This inspirational book, written in an easy-to-read style, is capable of turning one’s life for the better. What I liked the most was the 13th chapter titled “Even if you know that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree”. A great message for courage, faith and hope! Go to the nearest bookshop and get hold of this terrific book. You will not regret it.

Human mind eternally seeks for solace in some sort of metaphysical experience. This may not be evident for the materialist mind, but is the same for all. Indian philosophy is replete with suggestions for the need for such spiritual experience to make life complete or even livable. Happiness is something we can attain by positive effort on our part. Very same principle, in a more metaphysical way, is given by Dr Manish Maladkar in his book. Each one of the 35 articles reflects a particular aspect of life and the importance of being harmonious in social existence. Oft repeated quotations make us familiar with thoughts of great people, who continue to inspire us through centuries. Maladkar reminds us that it does not matter what happens to us but what matters it what we do about what happens. Nobody can make you unhappy without your consent. This interesting book may be taken as a source book for meditative practice. It needs more concentration and some sort of pensive mood. I doubt whether happiness will be readily forthcoming from such books. Being happy or unhappy is most often temperamental. If the book helps some to change their temperament, the author would have succeeded. I will conclude this review with another inspiring narration by Maladkar - God trying to solve the problems of a man by giving him nectar of life in a golden pot, but he sees only the gold and not the nectar. Hope this does not happen with this book.

PNN Pisharody Pisharody’s Hospital, Karunagappally, Kollam 690 518, Kerala, India. Email: drpisharady@gmail.com

Under the title of Life – An Odyssey: Time Tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems, the author has compiled selective 35 musings which throws light on the hurdles in the journey of human life and the ways to brings about happiness from these hurdles in ourselves and spreading it to others. Incorporation of heart touching short stories and beautiful quotes makes this literature more interesting and worth reading This book encompasses the deep desire of completeness within the soul, which drives a man from the seen to the unseen, to philosophy and ultimately to the divine. This book is intended for those capable of knowing their own good. As a thinker, the author just wishes to awaken the reader to his own self. We receive from life not what we want, but what we need. So it is with wisdom that, it requires wisdom to understand wisdom. That inherent wisdom, ‘Life-An Odyssey’ intends to touch, an effort to affect eternity. The author quotes Buddha’s view on life’s journey: Faith is nourishment, Virtuous deeds are a shelter, Wisdom is the light by day and Right mindfulness is the protection by night. If a man lives a pure life, nothing can destroy him. If he has conquered greed, nothing can limit his freedom. Life is a mystery for those who keep on running behind their expectations, ignoring the need of exploring their soul and happiness therein. The changing culture of an individual and the society towards unhealthy social environment makes it necessary to find the right path for the journey of life. The idea behind Life – An Odyssey is to explore the different aspects of life, which everybody experiences in their day-to-day living, though of importance, these are largely ignored due to our so called ‘busy schedules’. Life-An Odyssey: Time-tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems arouses the dormant conscience buried deep within each person due to our hectic lifestyles. Hence, this book can be a pocket guide for students, and professionals who would love to bring stability into their lives in this fast-paced world.

The 'Light' of your life The book promises to provide time-tested solutions to life’s problems. Intended for those capable of knowing their own good, Life-An Odyssey has several chapters with teachings that go a long way into making your life a fulfilling one. As the book begins, the author talks about the importance of co-existence. He borrows quotes from some of the greatest thinkers such as Edison, Confucius, John Nash and Socrates. The author introduces us to problem areas of our lives and guide readers to untie the knots to lead a happy life. The pearl of wisdom are meant to enable and lead you to become the illuminated one, by guiding those traveling the dark journey of life with you. The book teaches one that it is alright to have ups and downs in life and that is how we shall reach our final destination. Forgiveness, generosity, trust, grace, hope optimism, intuition, happiness, divinity, kindness, love and determination are some of the acts that win you brownie points, says the author. On the other hand he cautions us to refrain from fear, materialism, selfishness, pessimism and malice. Light, says the author, is the only true reality and everything else are various forms of the energy. All out festivals, take Diwali for instance, are about bringing light into lives. "Stay wary of things that seduce you easily," the author reproduces Ravana’s last lines to Lord Rama. The book teaches us life’s lessons through poems, lines from hymns and sacred texts. Inspiring stories and motivational thoughts are the reasons to revisit the pages of this book time and again.

Dr. Shree Manish Maladkar, M.D. from Grant Medical College and JJ Hospital, Mumbai, and MCCP (USA) currently holds a senior position in a leading Indian pharmaceutical company. His major contribution is just not limited to the scientific community but he is actively engaged in adding valuable inputs to inspirational and motivational literature. In his book, titled Life-An Odyssey: Time Tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems, he has compiled selective 35 musings, each of which conveys the essential teachings of life in an inspirational and motivating manner. Each page of this book doles out some pearls of wisdom. This book is an ideal wisdom bank to search one’s sole which the human may lose in the pursuit of worldly desires. The author says: each day is a chance to invest in life. Each day is a chance to work miracles in the lives of others. Each day is the chance to renew yourself. To shed yesterday’s skin. To shed yesterday’s hurt. Be glad of life each day as it gives you chance to work, love and play. It gives you chance to look at the sun and the stars. And then when the sun sets, don’t cry as the tears of your eyes will make you miss the beauty of the stars. The above thought by the author means that the treasure what we have in our lives is the present and that we should put it to the best of use. Past sorrows should be forgotten as it serves no purpose to our present or to build our future. Life-An Odyssey: Time Tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems is a mind opener for all. Therefore this book is highly recommended to all.

Life-An Odyssey: Time-tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems is about the deep desire of completeness within the soul, which drives a man from the seen to the unseen, to philosophy and ultimately to the divine. This book is intended for those capable of knowing their own good. As a thinker, the author just wishes to awaken the reader to his own self. We receive from life not what we want, but what we need. The music is nothing, if the audience is deaf. So it is with wisdom that, it requires wisdom to understand wisdom. That inherent wisdom, ‘Life-An Odyssey’ intends to touch, an effort to affect eternity. The changing culture of an individual and the society towards unhealthy social environment makes it necessary to find the right path for the journey of life. The idea behind Life – An Odyssey is to explore the different aspects of life, which everybody experiences in their day-to-day living, though of importance, these are largely ignored due to our so called ‘busy schedules’.

Life is not complicated; it’s how we look at it and what we make of it. There are no standard rules that can be set to live life, but there are certain basic principles, which if we follow, enrich our life experience. Forgiveness, selfishness, humility, trust, optimism, faith, purpose, giving, happiness are some of those. This book by Dr Manish Maladkar is a collection of such principles, which inspires the reader to introspect. He conveys these thoughts with the help of apt quotes. He calls these ‘time-tested mantras’ that will make you aware of your true calling and guide you to follow that path. The book contains over 35 delightful and motivational stories, each of which conveys as essential teaching of life. Since the stories are not related to each other, you need not start reading the book from the beginning; stop at a story you like and proceed from there. Presented in a simple manner, the book carries a powerful message to help the reader live an enriching life.

Dr. Shree Manish Maladkar, MD, MCCP (USA) is a familiar name in healthcare circles. An alumnus of the prestigious Grant Medical College, Mumbai and currently heading the medical department of the leading pharmaceutical company, Dr. Maladkar is a multifaceted personality with a fund of knowledge and wisdom under his belt. Life-An Odyssey is a collection of his musings on diverse topics that have their own intricate connection with the enigma called life. In the author’s own words, unless one follows the sequence of reflection, realization, wisdom and enlightenment, life cannot be not worth living. Dr. Maladkar’s emphasis on introspection is praiseworthy and is a pointer to his own sound value systems. Not for him are the fancy props that lesser mortals seek and often fail to get as they struggle to find that illusive element called inner peace and tranquility. Dr. Maladkar’s unshakable faith in time tested mantras brings in a refreshing breath of fresh air in a society that is so bogged down with materialism and commercialism of the crassest kind. A must read for every thinking person of today.

Dr. Maladkar has done his MD from Grant Medical College and J J Hospital, Mumbai and is presently holding a senior position in a leading pharmaceutical company. He has presented in the book 35 chapters which are the series of stories conveying the essential teachings of life. The stories are inspiring and motivate thoughts. However one can open any page of the book and finds some pearls of wisdom that one can relate to or learn from. The book is ideal as a morning reading to invite the self into all the activities of the rest of the day, and review one’s own whole day performances at the end of the day. It is an invitation to the deeper calling of our lives. To illustrate my comment above I am quoting below few lines from some of the chapters of the book. “Each day is a chance to invest in life. Each day is a chance to work miracles in lives of others. Each day is a chance to renew yourself. To shed yesterday’s skin. To shed yesterday’s burden. To shed yesterday’s hurt. Be glad of life each day as it gives you chance to work, love and play. It gives you chance to look at the sun and the stars. And then when the sun sets, don’t cry as the tears of your eyes will make you miss the beauty of the stars." “Life moves pretty fast and if you don’t stop and look at the wonders already present in your life, then you would miss life altogether. Think of big thoughts but relish the small pleasures life offers you each day. Maybe it’s as simple as giving a smile to someone, maybe making someone’s day. For that could be the last day of life—for you or for him. A small act, a genuine one, from your side will cost you nothing but it could mean everything to some person that day. You never know." “Let us not bankrupt our today by passing interest on regrets and worries of yesterday and by borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow." “You should love the light for it shows you the way and yet you should endure the darkness for it shows you the stars. Yet never forget that a little darkness cannot dim a lot of light. But a little light can dispel a lot of darkness. If at all you are suffering already then why add to it by worrying." I recommend reading of the book by all the doctors

By: Basanta Kumar Khan Principal, College of Medicine and Surgery Sagore Dutta Hospital, Kolkata 700058 JIMA, Dec 2010.

A M. D. and M.C.C.P. (USA), Dr Manish Maladkar holds a senior position in a leading pharmaceutical company and is also on the editorial advisory board of several publications. A prolific writer whose articles have appeared in international as well as Indian journals and newspapers, his new book is a compilation of 35 incisive essays. They cover the vast canvas for all serious seekers of the truth. Each of them is packed with enlightening anecdotes and succeeds in providing answers to some of life’s complex problems.

Being actively engaged in inspirational writing blended with a scientific touch Dr. Manish has been an author to many articles and has an international repute to his credit. It is Dr. Shree Manish Maladkar, M.D., M.C.C.P. (USA) who has brought into limelight his latest book Life-An Odyssey". The book throws light on Time Tested Mantras Providing Solutions to Life’s Problems. Being a selective collection of 35 musings it addresses the hurdles in the journey of life and provides solutions through various ways of bringing happiness. Everyone in his lifetime encounters challenges but then there are also introspective paths to overcome them. The book is all about these ways. Life-An Odyssey is a choice selection of 35 musings. Each thought provides a reflective path to successfully overcome the different challenges that everybody encounters. If you keep running behind expectations life become a mystery for you and if you want to explore happiness it should be within. And the best remedy to it is Reflection which leads to Realization which in turn leads to fulfilment of wishes and helps achieve final enlightenment.

This is heart opening book of wonderful scope entertaining our spiritually-minded Self to seek stories of truth and guidance. Dr. Maladkar through 35 delightful stories has conveyed the essential teachings of life. It is not merely a story book but rather a teaching tool of spirituality for our elevation.

Dr Manish Maladkar has authored several inspirational and scientific articles in the last two decades. Mukunda Stiles, who runs the Yoga Therapy Centre, writes in the foreword, “In the pursuit of spiritual wisdom, those drawn to Dr. Maladkar's writing are entering into the realm beyond the mental, emotional and physical bodies called the Koshas - literally the veils of truth". The author explores concept of co-existence, the benefits of looking inward, and a rather befuddling chapter, titled 'A man who fears suffering, is already suffering from what he fears.'

Life-An Odyssey is a selection of 35 musings, each of which provides an introspective path to successfully overcome the different challenges that everyone encounters. Manish Maladkar has combined interesting stories with thought-provoking quotes in order to try and awaken the reader to the potential that lies within him. The book aims to help you recognise your own inner calling, so that you can shed your fears and inhibitions and find your own truth. If you are willing to make changes in the life you’ve planned, you might discover the life that’s waiting for you.

Maladkar's Musings Make a Must-Read Dr. Shree Manish Maladkar, MD, MCCP (USA) is a familiar name in healthcare circles. An alumnus of the prestigious Grant Medical College, Mumbai, and currently heading the medical department of a leading pharmaceutical company, Dr. Maladkar is a multi-faceted personality with a fund of knowledge and wisdom under his belt. Life - An Odyssey, is a collection of his musings on diverse topics that have their own intricate connection with the enigma called life. In the author's own words, unless one follows the sequence of reflection, realization, wisdom and enlightenment, life cannot be not worth living. Dr. Maladkar's emphasis on introspection is praise worthy and is a pointer to his own sound systems. Not for him are the fancy props that lesser mortals seek and often fail to get as they struggle to find that elusive element called inner peace and tranquility. Dr. Maladkar's unshakeable faith in time tested mantras brings in a refreshing breath of fresh air in a society that is so bogged down with materialism and commercialism of the crassest kind. A must read for every thinking person of today.

I find them very therapeutic. I must congratulate you. For a person so young, you exhibit a great understanding of life and interpret very effectively the various aspects.

Principal, College of Medicine and Sagore Doria Hospital, Kolkata
I have gone through the book with deep interest. It was a delightful reading for me. Dr Maladkar, had done his MD from Grant Medical College , JJ Hospital, Mumbai, and is presently holding a senior position in a leading Pharmaceutical Company. He has presented in the book 35 chapters which are a series of stories conveying the essential teachings of life. The stories are inspiring and motivate thoughts. However, one can open any page of the book and find some pearls of wisdom that one can relate to, or learn from. The book is ideal as a morning reading to invite the self into all the activities of the rest of the day, and review one's own whole day's performances at the end of the day. It is an invitation to a deeper calling of our lives. To illustrate my comments above I am quoting below a few lines from some of the chapters of the book.
"Each day is a chance to invest in life.... to work miracles in the lives of others. to renew yourself... to shed yesterday's skin... to shed yesterday's burden and yesterday's hurt. Be glad of life each day as it gives you chance to work, love and play. It gives you chance to look at the sun and the stars. And then when the sun sets, don't cry as the tears of your eyes will make you miss the beauty of the stars.
"Life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop and look at the wanders already present in your life, then you miss life altogether. Think of big thought but realize the small pleasures life offers you each day. May be it is as simple as giving a smile to someone, may be making someone's day. For that could be the last day of life - for you or for him. A small act, a genuine one, from your side will cost you nothing, but it could mean everything to some persons that day, you never know.
"Let us not bankrupt our today by passing interest on regrets and worries of yesterday and borrowing in advance the troubles of tomorrow.
"You should love the light for it shows you the way and yet you should endure the darkness for it shows you the stars. Yet never forget that a little darkness cannot dim a lot of light. But a little light can dispel a lot of darkness. If at all you are suffering already then why add to it by worrying" I recommend reading of the book by all doctors.
Published in Journal of the Indian Medical Association, Volume 108, Number 12, December 2010.

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