CONCEPT: 4/5
RELEVANCE: 4.5/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 4/5
“Love cannot remain by itself – it has no meaning. Love has to be put into action and that action is service” – Mother Teresa
These words reflect upon the meaning of true love. What is love if not giving, and giving if not service?
This book titled Real Heroes: Ordinary People Extraordinary Service is dedicated to 48 anonymous heroes who have dedicated their life, time, energy and resources to the cause they care the most about.
Every year CNN-IBN and Reliance Industries in a joint initiative identify and recognize twenty-four people from across India who have served their life to various causes including education, women welfare, children welfare, health and disability, social welfare, sports development and wildlife conversation.
This book talks about the works of forty-eight such people who were identified and recognized as a part of this initiative.
All of a hundred and fifty-six pages, the book is short and concise. Each chapter is dedicated to a single achiever and each chapter extends up to a maximum of three to four pages.
The book is anything if not inspiring and reading about the deeds of these brave and selfless men and women leaves the reader inspired and revitalized.
The book surely will provide inspiration to many to face the odds and take up any cause which they hold close to their hearts.
The most inspiring stories which moved me were of Sunitha Krishnan, Chewang Norphel, D. Ashish, Haneef Lakdawala, Dharanidhar Boro, Ashok Rathod and Mohammed Sharif.
Chewang Norphel was the man who saved the people of Leh from their everyday struggle for drinking water. His project which helped create artificial glaciers to be used by the people in the months of need was an example world-wide and also invited many eminent scholars and professionals from all over the world to study his model.
Mohammad Sharif is a guy with little means, but that does not deter him from serving his cause. Every day he spends his time in the graveyard digging a grave for unclaimed bodies and making sure that their souls rest in peace. What does he get from it? Peace, happiness and a purpose!
Similarly, in Kolkata, D. Ashish has dedicated most of his life to the cause of medical bank. His initiative makes sure that no poor person goes untreated for the lack of medicine.
Similarly, Dharanidhar Boro fought with one and all to make sure that the Rhinos of Kaziranga National Park, Assam don’t go extinct.
These are just a few examples and all these forty-eight heroes deserve a big applause for the kind of work they have been doing.
That being said, Real Heroes: Ordinary People Extraordinary Service is definitely a must-read for all Indians and I, therefore, rate it four out of five stars and recommend it to all my readers.