In The Asking, I Changed — 1 by Charrvi Singh
My take on the book:
In the Asking, I changed by Charrvi Singh is the quintessential guide and mentor we all need for personal transformation. As the author states in the introduction, it is the questions that we ask that will determine the journey, and not the destination, hence encouraging the reader to look at simple everyday things with a different perspective.
The author touches on twelve topics in twelve chapters, one chapter dedicated to each topic. Words, emotions, echo chamber effect, rules, choices, morality, mediocrity, forgiveness, heartbreaks other than romantic ones, dilemmas, beauty and flaws, and identity and childhood dreams — the author discusses these varied topics.
Unlike traditional self-help books, this book is structured as finding your answers through questions. To make the narrative engaging, the author does not include theoretical content, instead adds multiple scenarios/examples and how a slight difference can change the whole perception like tone of the speaker. Hence, instead of stating the obvious, the author encourages the reader to question and determine for themselves.
The reader might end up with more questions after finishing the book and it is actually a good reflection of the author’s efforts to make the reader question the uncertainty and fragility of life. The author’s writing style is simple even while describing the complex nature of life, which will make the book relatable to a varied set of readers. Rather than pushing the reader to act on the topics discussed, the author gently nudges them to introspect.
However for regular readers of self-help books this book may not appeal as the format is not what they expect it to be. I personally found myself turning pages while trying to grasp the ideas being discussed by the author. Highly recommended.
My rating:
4/5.