Competition and the Other Side of Life

The book is a collection of essays based on the perils of modern life like aggressive competition, suspicion, revenge, superstition and myths. It tries to bring out how these emotions can many a time blind a person's sensibility. The book has a separate chapter on women which highlights how religion and men across societies and continents have used different methods to subjugate women. The book will be useful for children helping them write essays and also for people of all age groups to understand the nuances of life. The book uses examples from history, contemporary times as well as author's personal experiences to bring out a holistic understanding of sensitive topics like suspicion, superstition, revenge, women subjugation and also how day by day aggressive completion is making people blind to all the negativity it is bringing in their life.

R.S Garg (b.1934) is a retired officer of the Indian Foreign Services and an ardent believer of righteous living. He has travelled and lived abroad. Thus, he has come across with social impact of different cultures. He also has grassroot knowledge of Indian caste system and its consequences which he is planning to publish in a book soon. He has previously published a book 'Gita for success in Modern Life from Basement to Boardroom' in 2003, New Age Books, New Delhi. The book selects only a few chapters and verses of Gita which are of direct relevance in the context of the modern life. The book was revised and reprinted in 2004.

The book is a collection of six essays on different topics. Though they are disconnected in literal terms but are one in essence.

The first chapter is on competition and humanity which brings out how completion and the race to become numero uno i.e. number one have impacted the world today. Everybody wants to be number one following the herd mentality. However, one need to understand that bulk of the people are ordinary but their support is needed for the well being of the society and also not everyone can become a leader.

Competition is to self-esteem as sugar is to teeth. It can be seen even among people who claim to have renounced the world. However, despite some negative effects, competition is still detrimental to us. It can create lots of advancements in the society. Thus, if the competitive force is used to create aggression then it will eventually harm our ways of lives.

The second chapter is about myths, reality and science and describes how science through its progress on one hand has been able to end many myths in our society and also has been a tool to improve the well-being of humanity and increase life choices. Like any tool it can be misused, thus, it should be regulated and used carefully, there must be checks from government to make sure that science does not go further and faster than is in the interests of the state or than its people want. It is only through regulation, checks and inspections that we can make sure that science is used for good rather than ill and ensure that the research is performed in a moral way.

The third chapter is about superstitions prevailing across the globe is different societies since the inception of humankind. It discusses superstitions that were practised in India and in other countries which challenged a person's individuality, gender, rights as a human being and above all resulting in the damage of society, culture, faith and religious beliefs. The chapter adds a very amusing section based on the author's personal experiences in Nepal and his conclusion that literacy does not account for ending superstitions in a person.

The fourth chapter is about suspicion, lies and jealousy which highlight how modern couple's deceitful and suspicious nature is playing havoc to the family system and society. Nowadays, it is becoming more and more common that we see different people severing their relations with either friends and family or their husband or wives. It is not hard to notice that there is one common factor in each of these damaged relationships, which is ultimately the cause of such things happening and that is suspicion. Therefore it is wise to moderate suspicions, than to account upon them as true and yet to bridle them as false.

The fifth chapter is on revenge where three examples from history as well as contemporary times have been taken where people have sought revenge from their families, certain religious groups or castes led to destruction in the process. It also brings out how many communities in India are ready to even sell of their property just to seek revenge. Hence letting revenge remain a sort of competition based phenomenon that we can do well without and utilize our energies in worthier enterprises. The main highlight of this chapter is the classic example of the epic Mahabharata which is often used for writing the political history of that period. However the author has used this ancient example to highlight how revenge of different people in this great epic lead to the destruction of the whole clan.

The final chapter highlights how religion and men across societies and continents have used different methods to subjugate women. Starting from witchcraft in Europe to Sati system in India women have been at the receiving end. Some of these continue in some form or the other even in modern times, it is also important to analyse that women have been able to gain prominence in all facets of life in the modern society. Many movements, organisations, institutions, government and women themselves have fought against the injustice done to them and many laws have been eventually passed to give justice to women. The strugglefor women however, to build a place in society as many still continues as many are still burnt for dowry or raped for men's pleasure.

**Contents and Sample Pages**