Bhagavad Gita Book

On the battlefield of GoodReads, the mighty reviewer Arjuna picked up his trusty pen, Gandeeva, and addressed his charioteer (who was none other than Lord Krishna):

- O Kesava! Take me to the middle of the battlefield, between the opposing armies of Authors and Reviewers, so that I may see who I am fighting against.

And Krishna did so.

But Arjuna, seeing all his favourite authors arrayed against him, was suddenly loath to fight. - O Krishna! he said. How will I use my cruel pen to tear into these dear ones? How will I lay bare their plots, deconstruct their sentences, and take their grammar apart? No, I do not want the glory and likes obtained by such a heinous act! Better a brain-death, reading trash, than such sin! And he threw his pen down.

Krishna smiled and stood up.

- O Partha! Such faintheartedness is not worthy of a warrior like you! Do you think that you destroy books through your reviews? Banish such foolishness from your mind!

Those reviewers who think that they are destroying books, and those authors who believe their books are getting destroyed through reviews, both are equally mistaken: for books are neither created nor destroyed through reviews.

For the book which is published, oblivion is certain: and for that which goes out of print, rebirth is certain. But the story never dies: like human beings change worn clothes, it only changes publishers and dust jackets.

The narrative cannot be destroyed by weapons: it cannot be burnt by fire (read Fahrenheit 451!), it is not drowned in water. It is eternal.

So your karma, O Kaunteya, is to do the review without worrying about its fruits. Do not think of the likes you are going to get: do not worry whether the author is going to find you out and conk you on the head: do not trouble your mind about whether people will be put off from reading the book because of your review. Go into it without attachment: this is the way of the Kshatriya. This is "Nishkama-Karma", the way to eternal glory!

Hearing this, Arjuna was heartened. He picked up his pen, and started to review with renewed vigour.

Review inspired by Manny