50 Not Out - Book Review

The book market is inundated with self-help books. However the recent self-help releases had disappointed me. They were insipid and banal. Their tone was preachy do this and do that. They lacked honesty and sincerity. As a result they fell in the better said than done category.

Against this back drop 50 Not Out came as a cool breeze in the hot summer afternoons. 50 Not Out aims to draw life's lessons from the game of cricket. It is this format that works in favour of the book. It something fresh and never tried before.

The book is divided into fifty small chapters devoted to one value which one must inculcate for real success. The author narrates incidents from various cricket matches involving ace cricketers. He also mentions his own experiences at the field. He also draws parallels from his experiences as an employee of a bank. 50 Not Out is not only about cricket. It mentions anecdotes from films and books as well. Most of them were unheard before. This further enhances the quality of the book.

The writing is simple and lucid. The writer's simplicity and sincerity touches your heart. The book is about applying cricketing principles to lives. The medium cricket happens to be the hero of the book. I really liked the story of Devidas in the book. The book offers innovative approach when it says that there are no prizes for being excessively modest. I also liked the 10000 hour rule quoted in the book. I liked when the author says that your skill has to be your second nature. The author offers practical lesson when he says that you have to vocalize your feelings for no one is going to understand your inner feelings. Though the book borrows from many people, books, movies and of course cricket, it dutifully acknowledges all of them.

I am not a cricket fan. I do not even watch cricket and hence understand little about it. As a result I was apprehensive when picking up a book based on cricket. However my lack of love and understanding for the game did not come into way while enjoying 50 Not Out. Rather it repelled my dislike for the game at least to some extent.

I loved this book for its novelty, simplicity and sincerity. I have decided to read the book (again and again) and work on the exercises given at the end of each chapter. Needless to say the book is worth reading.