The One Above – What if God was your neighbor?

Author: Sirshree
Publisher: Penguin Books India
(Pp 160, ISBN 978-0-143-41519-0, Rs 150)

The One AboveWhat will you do if God was your neighbor – living in the same building as yours, helping you find happiness in your current state of life? Imaginative but so peaceful! The book shows how to infuse passion and energy into everyday activities, both at work and at home. The book helps to accept all happiness and sufferings to reach a state where whatever be the circumstances, you are happy.

The book does not preaches, instead all the mantras of life are woven together in a form of a story where Ecklavya, an architect by profession, is unhappy. He asks God to come down to his rescue and God does come in the form of a neighbor. Ecklavya does not know his name but he calls him ‘The Above One’ or ‘Tao’ and starts sharing his feelings with him. Tao teaches him practical ways of being happy and dispelling common beliefs about unhappiness and pain and provides insights into the real causes of suffering. Towards the end, Ecklavya learns how to be happy and so do the readers.

In all, motivating book which keeps you glued till the end. Beautifully presented, it makes an interesting and very helpful read!