Book
If He and She Can…
Inspiring Anecdotes of Selfless Deeds

Fr C. P. Varkey, SJ

BETTER YOURSELF BOOKS, 206 pp, Rs 70/-

A simple book with great potential! That is how this book can be best described in brief. In a nutshell, it is a book about being human. As such it offers people inspiration and motivation to look at life from a different perspective whereby life is made truly liveable for each and everyone we live, study, play or work with.

The anecdotes in this book, numbering a hundred, to be precise, and gathered from various sources, recount unusual deeds of selflessness and/or courage by adults and youngsters alike. Put together by a writer who is a renowned educationist and counsellor, these stories, all real happenings from everyday life, help stir the conscience and stimulate the thought process. That is where the title of this book itself emanates from, goading the reader into prompt action, the idea of sitting on the fence doing the quick diminishing trick!

Indeed, if Gangadhar Botla (p 143) of Pune, could secure a First Class in the Pune Divisional Board SSC Exams despite being unable to even touch his books during a busy day in his father's tailoring shop, why can't I with all the comforts of time and space that I enjoy! Or if Yong-Sun Nat of Sungnam, South Korea, can use his own money and expertise to bake the “best bread in the world” (p 64) for the inmates of an orphanage, what is stopping me from sparing a thought for the poor and the needy I encounter practically every step of the way every day? Or again, if 27-year-old Shyja of Kerala, “refuses to bow before fate that has paralysed her body, feet and most of her hands” (p 153) and, instead, sitting in a wheelchair, tutors school-going children, what is preventing a healthy-bodied me to do better in life in terms of studies and career?

One could pick up any number of inspiring examples from this book to boost our confidence both in our own selves and in the goodness of people around us. If only we'd be willing to put those examples and the inspiration thereof to beneficial use!