F?@K Knows - A Book Review

I am not a huge fan of self-help/motivational/inspiring sorta books. And it was with a lot of hesitation that I applied for review of this book. And the only reason I did was the weight behind the author's name ! Shailendra Singh is the joint managing director of Percept Limited - the largest and only entertainment, media and communications conglomerate (which he reiterates more than once in his book) , and is a popular name in the ad world. He is the creative force behind so many memorable path breaking ad-campaigns including "Desh Ki Dhadkan" & Bharat Nirman. Besides advertisements  he has also been responsible for some meaningful movies like Phir Milenge ( I love that film) . And who can forget his visionary contribution to Sports especially Cricket ? He has been largely responsible for marketing & managing of the sport to eye-popping levels. With so many things under his belt, I was curious to know how he wields his pen? And that alone let me to nod a yes for reviewing this genre.

I must say that,  I am glad I grabbed this book; it is a fun ride, a cool read alright !
And what had me in splits right from the beginning was the 'HOW TO READ THE BOOK' - pure fun :)

Shailendra has poured his heart out in to his debut. He oozes charm and connects with the readers in his own inimitable style. Right from the word go, the book is bindaas and a no-holds barred type of narration. Weaving fact with figures and loading the book with a lot of his personal experiences, Shailendra urges the readers to live life on their own terms .The book is the result of the author's search for answers to the 2 most important questions- 'Who are you ?' , 'What do you want from life' ?  It led him in to reevaluating his priorities and essentially shaking down all the cobwebs

Shailendra urges the readers to make a F?@K list of things to be done - it is a bucket list of sorts that the readers must make to realise who they are and what they want in life ? To make the job of compiling the list easier, he insists on making a 'Don't ever want to be' list. I especially loved his invite to the readers to email him their F?@K List which he promises to email them back after 6 months as a reminder of sorts.

If you are someone who swears by the works of Hemingway,Sheldon & Keats, then this book may give you a cultural alarm as the language is a shocker and the use of profanities  may give rise to an acidic reaction. But the appeal of the book lies in its rustic charm ; the narration is down-to earth and easily comprehensible. 

Few of the  chapters and its morals  that stuck with me are :-

• Math of Life - 'You don't have as long as you think'
• CTRL+ALT+DELETE - 'Reboot yourself & start afresh'
• Your body is your temple - Respect & Take care of it
• Being Human - 'Realise the power to make a difference'
• Don't 'Just Do it' instead say ' Just Done it' !

Now to the Yays & Nays

Yay to:-

• The 230 odd pages are woven with a lot of humour & wit
• Light-hearted narrative and no high funda mumbo -jumbo 
• Most of what Shailendra says is 'heard already' stuff, but the presentation is  smart & fun
• It motivates the readers to listen to their heart a lot & listen often
• Honest penning by the author
• The book is not preachy but subtly conveys its message across !

Nays

• Liberal use of the word F?@K may affect the sensibilities of people. { I really liked the book and hence refrained from any nay picking }

Final Word :-

“In life, it’s not about the destination; it’s all about the journey…” - Shailendra Singh

Author    :   Shailendra Singh

ISBN        :  978-81-291-2399-6

Price       :  INR 195/-

Publisher :  Rupa Publications

Category :  Non Fiction

Recommendation :  Thumbs Up !

Thank you Blogadda for the book. Participate in the Book Review Program for free books.

P.S : My review is late by 2-3 days and it is only because the author had specifically insisted that the readers take long breaks between chapters to grasp the intense logic in the book