The 3 Mistakes of my Life by Chetan Bhagat: Book Review
Posted by Prashanth | Filed under Headshot, Readable Enough, School Life
This one was long anticipated. The best-selling Indian novelist brings together another installment in showcasing the everyday life of some of the most common, unassuming and inconspicuous people of India. Titled 3 Mistakes of my Life, but disappointingly, has nothing to do with Mr. Bhagat’s life in itself. Anyway, its something fictional, but an entertainer in all. Before I consume your patience with vague descriptions like these, let me get started with the review…
The plot is pretty simple, 3 average students, Govind, Ish and Omi having a hard time living think of entrepreneurship. In middle come an entire big hoard of people, problems and pressures. Its about how they react, solve and live with those problems. Just like his older books, he chose a batch of people who truly represent a good proportion of urban India. This book is picturised in the older and slightly lesser developed part of Ahmedabad, Gujarat and features loads of Gujjus(Read: Hindi slang to refer to Gujaratis). Although no vernaculars could be observed in the book to make it funny in the slapstick sense, the very style of writing makes it really funny and entertaining. Many things that might feel Gujju there might be references to several places or locations in Ahmedabad, Gujju food, and of course, names that truly sound Gujju. But then, I really missed the name Jigness Kumar and a whole bunch of *readable* Gujju vernaculars there! 
After reading the book, I kind of felt that it had just one major objective. Making the Indian youth vigilant and aware of some of the biggest problems that plague its society. The list of problems could be very long, but well, Wordpress’s tinyMCE editor does have a bullet/numbering functionality for some reason, right? Feel free to scroll down and continue reading the rest o the review. I just wanted to point out that Chetan covered the following problems in his book…
- Expensive Education
- Lack of development in smaller towns
- Conservative mentality
- Extremism in politics
- Sick politicians
- Religious extremism
- Bias towards agnostics and atheists
- Poverty amongst the brighter lower-middle class youth
- Extreme competition in entrance exams for college admissions
- Success is hard to get
- Offbeat ideas receive suppression
- Lack of sports education/infra-structure in schools, etc
- Completely study oriented schools
- Small-scale businesses are extremely risky
- Advanced coaching for exams is expensive so only the upper-middle class receive that
- Drift between religions, castes, etc
- Conservative mentality of parents
- Hypocrisy among public, politicians, and everyone alike
- Lack of awareness, foresight and ideas due to lack of quality education
- Smaller schools lack funds and money in everything, just bigger school students get everything
- Bad quality contraceptive devices that don’t allow Indians to get bold early
- Heavy mugger-friendly curriculum
- Monotonous books, pathetic teachers, result oriented study
- Lack of scientific temper
- Students prejudiced about certain subjects and losing interest
- People just want to earn, and passion for anything is dead
- Prodigies and talented folks are mostly unrecognized and all that dies away as unharnessed potential
- Expensive international air tickets, nice food and even good reference material
- Stereotyped mentality of 99% of parents …. I had enough of it and I guess you did too. Just know that it had many more of it…
Oh well, I could go along all my life just covering the problems Mr. Bhagat put on those measly souls. But then, he makes a point clear. Indians live with many of these, even most of the readers do. The story was just a nicer way of illustrating the most extreme faces of these problems. In some places, the book does seem a little cliched with a few situations seeming too obvious in the setting. Like there is this bloke named Ish, who is a talented cricketer who didn’t go anywhere thanks to his involvement with cricket. So well, it was too obvious that his parents, especially his stereotypically grumpy Indian Dad always taunting against his failures, sometimes, simply for the heck of it! And simply for the heck of covering many of these problems, Bhagat creates or sets up certain scenarios a tad too forcefully… He even chose the best possible time-span to set the story in. Between 1999-2002, India faced the worst of all. Worst of riots, the worst of earthquakes and there were a hoard of problems especially in the part of India he spotlighted on. So well, the book in the end seems a little more than a detailed study of these problems… The book did go pretty much on the over-board side, especially in the ending. Seriously speaking, it did feel like a wonderful plot to a hindi movie with Chetan Bhagat trying to keep the book as riveting as possible.
But then, I did find the book an entertainer, but not for the same reasons why I found his previous books, Five Point Someone and One Night@the Call Center. Story and setting did slack off at places, but the writing style simply caught my mind. Several one-liners, witty metaphoric comparisons and unique usage of words with examples plucked from lives of all of us living in the sub-continent did have me bowing down at the same time munching at the food for thought he provided. A few things that he wrote in the book were such that, we might always have it in our mind, but then never have we ever managed to phrase that situation out into a clever statement… At times, he feels just so right. But then at times, it feels that parts of this book were just Chetan speaking out to the public and having his opinion read. And the pricing of the book makes it affordable for even those people documented in the book and even piracy-proof!
There are lofty many things that make Chetan Bhagat a wonderful writer targeting Indian youth. His writing isn’t the same as H2G2, where enjoying the humor means inclination to something, isn’t the same as fantasy writers, who spend a large portion of their publications just explaining the jargon and commodities that they imagined, and neither is it like those philosophical but anecdotal ones like say Sudha Murthy… It just feels almost, but not quite, entirely unlike Me, and many others who are a part of the growing India. The way he managed to put the un-phrased thoughts sitting in the minds of many of us is something that brings me to no surprise to have his third book soaring for success. I would be waiting to read more from him… I wish he updated his so-called blog more often!
Price: Rs. 95/- although ask for discounts in leading book stores.
PS - The book doesn’t have as much of cricket or the fanatic kind of cricket you might assume after looking at the cover, which does look pretty neat.
Quizzing Ideas from a Total Rookie at Quizzes…
Posted by Prashanth | Filed under Education, General, Headshot, It's My Life, Quizzing, Readable Enough, School Life, Technology
Right, I just don’t think I am the kind of person who should be referred to for any kind of advice on quizzing, but then since blogs are meant for free speech, I won’t hesitate to blurt things out from my totally arrogant, blatant and erratic opinion!
I basically thought of writing this post when I saw a Great Quizzard coming up with a post on quizzing which didn’t quite digest completely in my tummy. Although I wouldn’t entirely disagree to it, but then I have something different below. I want people to read what really matters in quality quizzing, and not how to ‘prepare’.
Another incident was an inspiration too. On my way to Access, while I hitchhiked the DPS RKPee’s Exunclan’s bus, I mingled along with cute-little kids ranging from class 6th-8th ‘preparing’ for the cadet/sub-junior quizzes. Their method of preparation was what that shocked me the most. These kids were literally cramming up databases ripped off from Wikipedia amongst other places! If just looking at it in kids wasn’t enough, even the seniors in class 11th were mugging in the identical printouts. If this is how Exun trains its future quizzers who are more crammy than passionate about tech quizzing, I am sorry at the clan’s very future (which shows no traits of the kind of people who got Exun to the stage where it is now), really looks dull! Anyway, can’t blame them too, our tech quizzes are becoming more or less tests of grunt mechanical knowledge like acronyms, directly referring to the names of CEOs of corporations, etc… I would just start off this post with one big statement - A quizzer cannot be prepared/trained for any quality quiz in a limited time span.
Quizzing, according to me is something very few people can excel at. The knack for doing well in quizzes is something people just get naturally. It isn’t something that can be developed. People with interest, time and patience but not this so-called God-gifted aptitude can never do well in quizzing even if they have read the entire wikipedia article archive! Quizzers can never be self-made, they can only be self-enhanced. If you have never given your shot at quizzing, or you plan to, just try looking at the following aspects about a good quizzer, his thinking and his so-called ‘gifted abilities’… If you seem to have them, chances are that you would do well in in the current trend in quizzing. 
Thinking…
A quizzer’s observational abilities are a part of his second instinct. A quizzer involuntarily looks at everything around him differently. Like if he visits a shopping mall, he tends to find shops that he wants without reading text on sign boards. That’s because he remembers the logos of international franchises and can locate their flashy logos from anywhere. He does this because he has previously been to a (similar) mall before, not necessarily the same one!
A quizzer has exceptional co-relation abilities. I might refer to it with a little exaggeration metaphorically as the Sherlock Holmes’s thought. A quizzer need not know too much about stuff around him, but ability to co-relate knowledge from multiple sources to come up with a concrete answer is what can make good quizzer. Guessing correctly is one the quizzer’s biggest assets. Hunches just don’t come up, they are a result of very complex efforts to retrieve data from co-relative database.
Like for example, one of my personal experiences,
“Which musician started up a venture called Elevation-Partners?”
Now, I have zilch information about the affairs in the music industry. But then one thing I know is that “Elevation” is a hit track by the (un)popular band, U2. I couldn’t really come up with a better relation the somewhat connects a musical group with the title Elevation, expecting it to be a result of achievements in the band’s career. I also knew the name of just one member of the band U2, Bono. I gave that as the answer, and expectedly, turned out to be right!
Take another one as an example, this one doesn’t give good result with the Jugaad!
“The churchbells at Maranello are rung on what special occasions?”
The only place where I remember reading the word Maranello is on a Formula-1 speedster decal belonging to Ferrari. Assuming the place to be of special importance to the car company, Ferrari, I pick up the following hunches…
- Whenever Ferrari pushes out a new car… Nah, too often!
- On Enzo Ferrari’s (founder of Ferrari) B’Day… Maybe…
- Whenever it wins a Formula-1 championship… Maybe…
And now, after neglecting a few more good guesses, I give out my answer as Enzo’s B’Day! That’s actually the wrong answer and the correct answer is what I had thought, they ring the bells on a victory in a Grand Prix.
As you can see, not knowing things won’t put you in trouble, but clever observation and good co-relation accompanied with intelligent guesswork can save you in a fix. Good quizzes usually test this ability rather than grunt knowledge like “What’s the height of the Qutab Minar?”…
Good English and Lingual Ability…
Watching movies and speaking more than two languages can be a great asset to all quizzers. More than that, being aware of a few terms common between languages especially English can be neat tool in hand. Quite a few questions in quizzes can be solved by the use of grammar and language-syllable co-relation. Like for example,
“ Example - In France, archers were trained with the help of of target boards having concentric circles. The smallest one was in the centre and was coloured in white. The archers used to aim at that and eventually learn the tricks of the bow and arrow. Which term, now in frequent use was adapted by such a process?”
Most would give the answer as Bullseye, but then a bull’s eye is neither white, nor it fits well into this situation. The correct answer is Point Blank. Blanc is the french word the refers to the colour white. I feel that this was a workoutable question!
This very skill applies even more to solving crosswords. Like one of the clues that I came across was -
“ Example - Matt works like a menial worker and writes reports…”
the answer is Drudge Report, a popular site founded by a guy name Matt ‘Drudge’. And drudging means menial labour. This could have been figured in multiple ways, of which the grandest in my opinion would be using English language and filling up the grid! Plus, when you solve questions using such methods on stage while loud thinking, you win loads of respect from the audience as well as the quizmaster. Trust me on this one! Personal experience…
There are quite a few questions where you are asked to deduce something about a thing/place/person, (especially historical or mythological) named in some regional language. Such questions can be deduced from pronunciation, vernaculars in derivative languages or just by plain awareness.
Example - “In the Mughal Court, a jester /minister once came up with a very innovative idea. He was appreciated so much that his name is now used in everyday language to signify something brilliant. What could have been his name?”
The answer is ‘Shabhaash“, a term frequently used in Hindi to appreciate someone. As you can see, more than knowing etymology, its presence of mind that matters in cut-throat quizzes like the Columban Open.
Many at times, being aware of common catch-phrases in use can be very helpful in quizzes. Reading more things for the sake of the reading pleasure and not forcefully to find/locate/learn catch-phrases is what can help here.
Being Passionate about everything you do…
The problem I see in most people coming to tech quizzes is that they are never passionate about quizzing. Just cramming up stuff doesn’t help. You should ‘feel’ technology more than anything else. there should be a desire from within to know more on things. Desire, interest and ability to grasp can be referred to in one catch-phrase as Aptitude with Attitude (AWA) is something that cannot be generated in everyone. In people compatible, one of the ways to do that is just show them new things that give them that ‘Wow’ feel. Watching documentaries on diverse topics can lead to production of interest. Whenever I read about some award winning documentary/dramatization somewhere on something that I am not aware of, I still look forward to it coming on television. Example: Motorcycle Dairies, courtesy Uma! I just watch the documentary for the sake of interest generation. Even after watching the documentary halfway and finding out that it is not on something in my cup of tea, I continue to watch it observing things in the background, or the way it was shot, or the shoot locations or anything. Most often or not, this generates interest in thinkers like me! More than being passionate about quizzing, you should be that for everything that you experience in life.
The Wiki way to Quizzing applies for those who would be executed in case they don’t win some quiz in the next 5 months. Not for those who would like to have the quizzer’s own distinct personality. General browsing through varied sites out of personal interest, work, or any other reason and observation in a long term gives a person that unique aura that good quizzers possess!
Moral of the story…
A quizzer cannot be created by mugging up different databases like Manorama or in a recent case, Wikipedia articles. Good quizzes never ask you the capital of Albania, which I am quite sure many good quizzers reading this post aren’t aware of!
To be a good quizzer, you should have the mindset compatible with the skills mentioned above. Above all, he should be involved in everything. Knowledge just doesn’t come from newspapers and Wikipedia, but from inconspicuous sources like Movies, Music, or even stuff that we relax with, say TV Shows or Novels. Its just the way you look at things and keep things in mind. Also, a quizzer never does all this willingly or by force, its his second instinct. A good quizzer is never a crammer!
Example - “The seven forms of which martial art are Shii-Cho, Makashi, Soresu, Ataru, Shien and Niman Juyo?”
In the real quiz we heard the name of every famous martial art from Ju-Jitsu to Kung-Fu, but then the answer is Lightsabre Combat in the Star Wars series. Top-notch quizzes can test our capacity to recollect from the most unprobable of sources. Basically, they test the efficiency of your keyword input and search engine skills. Being Google is what can make you say “Yahoo!” in quizzes.
Reading newspapers, magazines, online journals and stuff can take you a step further in increasing your knowledge database. But intelligent thinking and calculated hunches play a greater role IMHO in quality quizzes I had been exposed to in the past year. Usually, the answers to many questions is something you have heard about in the past, or something very common about worldly stuff. So the first step in Jugaad thinking should be trying to co-relate answers within your database, or in other words, a keyword search across your index!
Keep in mind that quizzes are not a test of how many databases you must have gone through in the past month, year or whatever, but a test showcasing all the activities you have been exposed to in you ENTIRE LIFETIME. Being called a quizzer doesn’t refer to his domain of ’skill’ as say an Engineer. What it refers to is, his very personality that makes him compatible enough to be involved in activities quite diverse in nature. You can generally observe this trait in almost all Great Quizzards! 
