It Doesn't Hurt To Be Nice - Book Review

Title: It Doesn't Hurt To Be Nice 

Author: Amisha Sethi

Publisher: Srishti Publishers & Distributors

ISBN: 978-93-82665-48-9

Number of Pages: 130

Price: 175 [INR]

Genre: Fiction [Spiritual Dramedy]

The Blurb:

Kiara is a dynamic, thirty-something girl who has reached great heights professionally, and is the apple of the eye of everyone who knows her. But she never took any short cuts to become happier, wiser, healthier and more compassionate.

She had to find rays of hope where the dark tunnel seemed unending, and identify shade in life's burning path. She found little pearls of wisdom in chasing her dreams, in spreading laughter, in learning from scriptures and philosophers, and even at one point in almost ending her life.

More than Kiara's story and wisdom she achieves through the various dramatic and hilarious experiences, this book is a motion picture with you in the lead role. You as the 'hero' who can beat the most stubborn villains - most of which lie deep within us... our fear, unkindness, selfish interests, negative thoughts and jealousy. You as the 'heroine' who is sharp and witty talking, selfless and caring in love, and charming and a beautiful inside out, like none other (perhaps a 2.0 version of you).

Walk with Kiara to find a better you, because It Doesn't Hurt to be Nice.

My Review:

       Sometimes when reading book after books, you come across a wonderful book which you wish wouldn't end soon and when it does, you want to go back and read it all over again! 'It Doesn't Hurt to be Nice' by Amisha Sethi has been one such book for me. There are a very few who can write about philosophy and make the readers fall in love with the book. Amisha has managed to that just fine. And when I saw that the author is just 30 something, I was shocked! With the amount of wisdom she has poured in this book, I really wasn't expecting a young author.

       This book has around 10 chapters and each chapter deals with different aspects of life. Every chapter started with some profound thoughts, followed by some life incident of Kiara which helps the reader understand the importance or the necessity of following certain aspects of life. These incidents are realistic, which happen to us or around us in day to day life. The author describes how Kiara dealt with these things differently and how she found happiness in doing so. These stories are again followed by some titbits of wisdom, which will leave you thinking and reflecting. There were also extracts from The Bhagawad Gita and The Upanishads which I loved reading. 

       Usually when I pick up a book of 130 pages, I will finish it within an hour or two unless it is slow. But this one took me 6 hours! Not because it was boring but because every chapter, every page and every paragraph had so much information that I couldn't just hurry through this. I read it slowly, digesting and processing each bit of wisdom and when I did finally finish the book, I somehow felt happy with what I have learnt.

       The author has beautifully connected the various aspects of life. She has written about how one can live life to its fullest. Each of these chapters are a piece of advice which we can imbibe in our life. And the best part is, the way Amisha has written it. She hasn't filled the whole book just with advises but she has written it with a pinch of humor which makes the book all more intriguing. I also loved the funny illustrations at the beginning of each chapter. They gave a hint about what was to come.

       There were many quotes in this book that I loved. Here are a few of those -

• Do things not because of a fear of God or any kind of pressure, but to grow the fruits of love, trust and truth.
• The mind is a master troublemaker; it always tries to deny the present. It wants to run away from it. The more we identify ourselves with attractions & illusions, the more we suffer.
• Be like a bird; keep flying high. And never get attached to a tree so much that it clings to your own existence... The bird's real purpose is to fly... fly high!

    There is one thing I have learnt after reading this book. Spirituality and meditation has no age barrier. You don't have to be a saint to practice them nor do you have to leave all your work for it. You just have to have the mind set for it. It is a way of life; something that you need to practice and inculcate in your daily life in order to be a better you.

      I would recommend this book to everyone. Do read it. Don't read it just for the sake of it but read and reflect on these things and try to incorporate few of these in your life. It certainly will be a life changer for you.

My Rating:

I am taking out 0.5 stars just because I felt like the ending was a little hurried. Apart from that, this book is definitely awesome!

Until the next review,

Keep Reading :)

Love,

Starry Eyed Reader :)