Being Becoming and Living- A book review by Col (Dr) Vijay Chenji (Retd)

Book Title : Being Becoming and Living

Author : Lt gen SSR Aiyengar PVSM, AVSM, VSM (Retd)

Publisher : Uday Publishing House

Year : 2023

ISBN :978-93-93402-22-6

Hard Cover

Price : Rs 1000/-

book Reviewed by : Col (Dr) Vijay Chenji (Retd)

It comes to no surprise that the reading habit is on the decline these days, especially among the new generation. That however has not stopped writers from expressing their thoughts. A major reason for reading habits taking a back seat is the emergence and proliferation of internet, as all books and magazines are easily available free of cost with just one one click on the computers key boards.

Nevertheless the passion and enthusiasm for book writing continues . For some it is all about giving back to the society . Lt Gen SRR Iyengar’s latest book ‘ Being ,Becoming And Living, precisely does that. It is a collection of articles based on his long years of personal experiences on a plethora of topics. The issues are wide-ranging from moral values to personal growth , spirituality to social behaviors , leadership to character building. It is a practical guide to people of all ages especially to the younger generation who are going through a cultural churning . The sheer number of topics are mind-boggling. The articles touch every aspect of humanity and its role in the society.
It is said that do not judge a book by it’s cover. But in this case one may make an exception. The cover of the book is deeply philosophical. The author has explained it in the introduction.

A unique feature of the book is that it has no chapters. It is a humongous collection of writings on every conceivable aspect of our daily lives. A reader can pick any of the nearly two hundred topics and draw inspiration from the personal journey of the General whose career spans over four decades of selfless and glorious service. The General needs no introduction. He is well-known in the army having held very prestigious appointments. Though he has had a good share of staff and instructional responsibilities, he reached his pinnacle as head of three premiere institutions viz ; The National Defence College, Defence Services Staff College and Military College of Telecommunication Engineering.

The key to the book lies in the introduction and the acknowledgement where the author sets the tone for the book. The 313 pages book carries the punch of years of experiences from his long and illustrious career. The book is a valuable guide to people of all ages and backgrounds especially at a time when society is undergoing vast Cultural and social changes.

Another interesting feature of the book is that it can be read at random by choosing any topic because none of them are dependent on the other. Each topic by itself conveys a thought and deals with a theme. It is ideal refrence book for students ,researchers , teachers , the young ,the old and to everyone under the sun.

There is an Index at the end which covers many important words used in the main text. This is very handy tool to search expressions used in the articles.
Right at the very outset the author has dedicated the book to his revered father and pays tribute to him by acknowledging his contribution for acting as his beacon and guiding light.

I am happy to add this book to my small library of some good collection. It is an ideal book to be gifted to the younger generation