Chicken Soup for the Soul series

SMRITI
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I got my first Chicken soup for the soul book by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen, as a gift over 8 years ago. Even now, Chicken Soup series of books continue to draw me to bookstores. I may not pick up any other book that i desperately want, but if I find a Chicken Soup title, I hardly give it a second thought.

I have 3 books to my collection. Each is a thick book of powerful, morale boosting true stories of people coming from all walks of life. Each has a very inspiring and soothing tale to tell, and each story touches and reaches out to different people.

When I was given the first book, I had no clue as to why the title was so wierd. Being a vegetarian, I thought it was a gross thing to name a book that way. Back then as a 11 yr old, I didn't realise the importance of Chicken Soup for good health as they have a soothing effect on the body. Chicken Soup for the soul does the same. Instead of soothing your body, it soothes your soul.

Every story from these books is like a mountain of inspiration. It acts as a balm to heal old wounds, but that of the heart. It's about opening up your heart to other's experiences and being affected by it. It's to have your spirit rekindled with hope and love. It's to give you the courage to go after your dreams.

And all these stories I read were so simple and yet beautiful. These are stories that I think people want to hear about, no matter their nationality, age or gender. These stories carry with them encouraging and inspiring messages that I think most people will understand and can resonate with.

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul was one book I liked in particular. It helped me a great deal in my latter teen years to cope with many diffuculties. My trivialities seemed to resolve at once. I knew I wasnt the only person in the world going through that troublesome adoloscent phase. I connected with others like me and knew at once, that life, will be OKAY.


Quite often, my eyes would suddenly well up in tears as I read one great story, and before I could have the chance to dry up, the next story brought on another bout of tears.
Each story is short, easy to read, digestible and filled with goodness
I'm sure glad the authors Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen didn't give up the idea of publishing their first Chicken Soup for the Soul book. Their story of creating and eventually publishing this book was in itself an inspiring story to be told.

After 3 long years of hard work to put together the book and rejections from 140 publishers, their vision to uplift humanity through this book finally came through. Chicken Soup for the Soul was finally published under Health Communications, Inc. The president of the company, Peter Vegso caught the vision of the authors and the spirit of the book and agreed to publish it.
On June 28, 1993, Chicken Soup for the Soul was launched and the rest was history. These books have gone on to become bestsellers for many titles. With over 80 million of copies of Chicken Soup books sold all over the world, it made publishing history.

Currently, I am reading Chicken Soup for the Writer's Soul. For someone who's had a life long dream to make the world a better place, with the pen, it has started out to be a great read. I expected a lot from this book, and it has gone much further ahead of my expectations. Thus far.

In the end, I suggest a Chicken Soup title for everyone. They have a book, a story for everyone. And I guarantee you, you'll find your life reflected in many of the stories that you read.


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John Wright's Indian Summers

SMRITI
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As My blog description suggests that they would contain more stuff about Raikkonen, Books, Sports and ME... it has been more of the ME and less of other elements. My beloved Raikkonen hasn't been written about enough either. So I thought, let me write something about the books I'm reading/have read.
These days I'm a bit tied up with studies, so I guess I will write about one of the nicest books I've read in the recent times.

John Wright's Indian Summers is an enthralling read for all the Indian cricket aficionados. Indian cricket's first foreign coach, the New Zealander gives vivid details of his long and successful stint at the helm of cricketing world's most star packed team. Of course, after the World Cup '07 we all label them more as fading stars, but during his time the ream flourished and reached dizzying heights. New stars were born and a new confidence along with team spirit was seen in quite a while.

The book describes Wright's appointment to the job and he tells us about his experience from the moment he landed to the moment he took off. The Cricketing board's meetings over tea, the ruckus that the meetings would turn out to be and above all, we get to see the apathy of the cricket board. Most of it we already know, but much is said, albeit between the lines.

The most fascinating thing for me in the book was the discovery of John Wright as the-not-so-quiet-coach. While in the limelight of things, he never spoke out much to the press. He kept to himself and his job and we always thought here was a soft coach we have who may buckle under the pressure of being in an unknown place. But as one read the book, we get to know the reprimanding side of the coach, who'd settle for nothing less than the best from the boys. He mentions many not-so-dirty-incidents of the dressing room that though make interesting read, fail to lift eyebrows. Mind you. NO NAMES ARE MENTIONED.

Nevertheless, it is a very good read and worth spending money on if you would like to see the Indian cricketing scene from the eyes of a good coach. It is an account of an honest man, who did much for Indian Cricket (read trainers, physio and proper equipments and facilities, previously not available). This one isn't sensational but definitely gets you a few laughs. Here are some excerpts to help you decide on reading it.

ON TEAM SELECTIONS:
"The first six or seven selections were straightforward. But when it got down to the marginal selections, those last three or four spots that determine the balance of the team and your ability to develop new players, the zonal factor kicked in and things would get interesting," he wrote.
"It was easy to tell when selectors had come to a meeting with an agenda... If their boys weren't picked, they tended to cross their arms, clam up and take no further part in the meeting."


Care to guess who Wright's talking about here?

"In Jodhpur, a guy with the biggest diamond ear-studs I'd ever seen wandered into our viewing area as if it was his private box. I went nuts demanding to know who the hell he was and, more to the point, who the hell he thought he was. The answer to both questions was that he was India's biggest beer baron." [page 43] - it's the one and only Vijay Mallya!


The Experience that was India...
"People would stop me in the street to thank for being 'our' coach. It was humbling, but also guilt-inducing, because many of those who thanked me for doing a well-paid job that I loved led lives of day-to-day struggle. The gratitude and support I received from ordinary Indians was the most positive force I've ever encountered, in that it simultaneously lifted me and kept my feet on the ground." [page 70]

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