Don't Sprint The Marathon

by V. Raghunathan

Life mimics a marathon more than it does a sprint Obvious as that may appear, as proud and ambitious parents, we often push our children to excel in ways that may help them achieve some early successes - but may sap their stamina to endure the more difficult challenges which life may throw at them. What is more, our obsessive rush to get our children off to a good start overlooks the fact that in life, as in a marathon, an early lead hardly matters, but being too intent on coming first may leave our children lacking in many of the life skilld that a normal childhood would teach them. V. Raghunathan, best-selling author of Games Indians Play, offers an alternative approach that can be even more life, he avers, is not a sprint, and it does not in the long run matter very much if you missed out on the best school, college or job as starters. As long as you give yourself the time to develop your personality and skills, you will still get where you want, at your own pace and perhaps far more happily. To illustrate, based far more happily. To illustrate, based on first-hand interactions, he gives numerous examples of many achievers, famous and not-so-famous, among them N.R. Narayana Murthy, Dr Kallam Anji Reddy, Dr. P.D.K. Rao, V. Mani, Ashwini Nachappa, Ila Bhatt and G.M. Rao. For those helping their children along for success in life, or rethinking their children along for success in life, or rethinking their own approach to it, Don't Sprint the Marathon will prove an invaluable guide.

184 pages, Paperback

Published February 2, 2010

Reviews

[Anandh Sundar · Rating 4 out of 5]

We Indians are quite competitive and culturally are wired for winning the rat race. Many parents coax their kids to pursue 'high earning' careers like engineering, medicine,law rather than pursuing their passions. Kids spend their teens(14-18) cracking the entrance/board exams rather than exploring their interests. The author cites the example of several 'late starters' to argue that life is NOT a rat race but a marathon where the best prepared person wins. The ideas are not that novel but the expression is.

[Bharani Krishnan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read which re defines if not completely modifies our perspective towards life...Life indeed is a marathon ...Mostly would agree with the author except for certain points ...

[Sambasivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very short but effective plea to live life in your one terms and pace by competing against oneself. Passion for excellence is more important than chasing a short term goal of competing and coming first in academia particularly if that is not your chosen dream. Written in a simple style easily comprehensible to all.

[Niharika Srivastava · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Running is the greatest metaphor of life.” Time flies and life unfolds new chapters. But what kind of race is your USP?

Don’t sprint the marathon, a non-fiction book by V Raghunatham feels more like a parenting guide but sheds light on the human outlook towards competition and success.

The author wittily used the metaphor of race for competition and the strategies people use to win it. To take it as a sprint or a marathon is definitely on the readers but the book definitely provides and in-depth difference between the two and leaves the readers to re-think were they right all their lives?

The book opens up by asking a few questions based on the different attributes of children; being creative or practical or being inquisitive or stereotype etc, and how parents react to them. Later just like any personality quiz the author describes the inner mentality o both the students and the parents that depends on their scores.

The book also questions the education system, which mainly teaches the students to “learn to learn.” Sprint runners can simply regurgitate the mugged-up answers but the more important job of parents is to ignite curiosity and perseverance in students.

The book defines various habits and practices that should be inculcated by students to have a successful life instead of just the pressure of excelling in exams.

Life should be tackled as a grand marathon instead of short sprints. The book collaborates various interesting and motivating short stories of life’s marathon winners that instils good vibes.

The book is a very simple read and is highly – highly recommended for today’s parents not denying the fact that it overloads sense and sensibility in young adults as well.

Although, I would not recommend the book for students at all as they need to have a sheer grit to work harder. The book contains great personality lessons that should not be treated as an excuse to avoid competition but they should be imbibed to play it healthy.

[Ireavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Its a non fiction self-help book. A book about parenting, but a manual to all. Parents would read and implement the book to gift their children a fuller life. And children must read to implement the ideologies inorder to fill the gaps in their own parenting. 'Better late then never', as they say.

Incorporated in life, this perspective of life can make a seemingly stressful and complicated life way simpler and fulfilling.

Although i did find it ironic how all through the book the author encouraged parents to not stress on scores and admissions into top institutions, but at the same time uses the same parameters to describe the 'sucess' of the examples he mentions.

Competing with oneself and forming beliefs and attitudes that serve in the long term race of life (the marathon) are to be built in childhood and through life insted of merely focusing on the short term runs (the sprints) for the little wins. AIM BIG, DREAM HIGHER!!

[Soumya Kundu · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice book on the typical mentality of the Indian parents to push children to excel at academics right from the early years of their life. The author clearly highlights the perils of such shortsightedness while lashing out at the fallacies built within our education system. The difference in the capabilities and training of a sprint racer and a marathon runner is brought out well. The text also debates whether competition at all helps in an individual's learning.
The book cites several examples of people who have done very well in life while in fact they have been rated mediocre or poor throughout most of their childhood by our education system.
The author makes a bold statement but tends to repeat a tad too much. The presentation lacks brevity. Other than that, it is a good read.

[Vikash Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

u dnt need a review for raghunathan if u hv read him once..to speak what another reviewer hs said, raghunathan does nt preach on moral grounds alone bt he gives u concrete reasons y u sud follow a righteous path. his is one sane voice in this growing din of selfishness nd hyprocracy.
this book is worth gifting to parents of learning children.