Books and Me: The Art of Effective Giving
Title: The Art of Effective Giving
Author: R.M.Lala
There are many reasons why we may want to pick up this little gem on giving.
Reason #1 : The book is attractively packaged by the publishers. The size, the cover, the layout and the print, make the book irresistible, especially if you are looking for an easy read.
Reason #2: The title is interesting enough to elicit attention. It immediately raises some questions in one’s mind like is giving an art? What is effectiveness in giving? What is the art in effective giving? Is it really possible to teach giving? I am sure each of us will have our own list. The above ran in my head influencing me to pick it up.
Reason #3: With eleven books to his credit , the author R M Lala is not an unknown name amongst Indian Writers. Most of us may have read and been impacted by one of his earlier writings. My personal favourite which also introduced me to the author was the title ‘Beyond the Last Blue Mountain’. If you are a fan of the Tatas and their legacy there is probably no one who has written more on them than this man. This book also has an interesting foreword written by Ratan Tata, which seals the case for picking this book
The book is divided into two broad parts, with the first dedicated to personalities and the second to principles. Both parts have short chapters with specific and focused writing. The personalities section speaks about Bill and Melinda Gates and Warren Buffet, Andrew Carnegie, Sir Jamsetjee JeJeebhoy, Jamsetji Tata, Sir Dorabji Tata, Sir Ratan Tata and Azim Premji. The second part discusses giving at the level of an individual, instituition and how to widen the group of people who give.
In today’s world where the number of charities and foundations are on the rise and the voice to make the world better is becoming louder this book provides ample suggestions on all aspects of giving. As I complete this blog post, I wonder why I should build a case for someone to be reading a book on giving. And the below quote present towards end of the book captures why every one of us should understand giving better “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
