GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth
GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth, written by Dr Manu Kothari and Dr Lopa Mehta is an unusual work on the subject of Ecology and the Environment. I realized for the first time that a dry subject like Ecology could be so romantic and fascinating after I read this book.
“The Authors” in fact need no introduction; both are post graduate medical teachers, Ex-Heads of the Department of Anatomy, Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital who have published many thought provoking books in the Medical field. Their works are recognized internationally. I am privileged to know them and if I have to describe them in one sentence, both of them are “Excellent Human beings”- that says it all.
There are many books on the subject of ecology which have loads of information supported with facts and figures that could make you yawn after going through a couple pages. But Guia’s will – is a different story all together.
It begins as an autobiography of planet Earth, I mean Mother Earth. Humans on one hand give her the status of mother and exploit her in all possible ways on the other! What an irony! May be this is how a mother is being treated in KALIYUGA!
The preface begins with Vasuda eva kutumbakam-meaning the Earth is just one family, the principle on which the authors have been living their life.
The beautiful language and the rich vocabulary is a treat to behold. Today when the standard of English language is declining and deteriorating, when even the so called journalists feel proud to use American slang or Hinglish lingo, Gia’s will is a must read.
It has quotes from Sanskrit to Julian Huxley to William Blake to R Emerson to Chief Seattle’s plea….the list is endless. The thoughts are well organized and the focus is not lost, there is a lot of information on the subject that unleashes slowly and beautifully like the break of a dawn. It is handled with such sensitivity that every sentence, every word written makes you ponder and take you on the process of self realization, if you are a sensitive human child of the Mother Earth.
You can not read it at a stretch like you read a work of fiction. You need to go slow, try to ingest and digest each word to understand it completely, for instance: the authors say “ Life is originated only once, life has exhibited incredible consistency over the past 4 billion years….” You, my dear, are related to all the human beings, extinct, extant and destined to be- You are similarly related to all the beasts, birds, insects and bacteria. You are life; life is you- That art Thou- Tat twam asi.
Later referring to the chemical building block of life itself ; DNA that oversees the Development, Nurture and Annihilation of life, thus embodying within itself the Holy Trinity of Brahma the Generator, Vishnu the Operator and Shiva the Dissolver, i. e. Srusti Sthiti Pralaya concept of Hindu Philosophy. ( Ch. 3. I am dying pg. 16)
It is really Mother Earth’s desperate attempt to awaken higher self of the Crown of Creation to their own betterment and to achieve her own salvation.
It is scientific, it is factual, it is informative, it is thought provoking and it is romantic. I would strongly recommend this book to all students, teachers, and educationists and to all the ignorant children of Mother Earth.
---- Arundhati Govind Hoskeri
GUIA’S WILL: the dying declaration of Mother Earth, written by Dr Manu Kothari and Dr Lopa Mehta is an unusual work on the subject of Ecology and the Environment. I realized for the first time that a dry subject like Ecology could be so romantic and fascinating after I read this book.
“The Authors” in fact need no introduction; both are post graduate medical teachers, Ex-Heads of the Department of Anatomy, Seth G S Medical College and KEM Hospital who have published many thought provoking books in the Medical field. Their works are recognized internationally. I am privileged to know them and if I have to describe them in one sentence, both of them are “Excellent Human beings”- that says it all.
There are many books on the subject of ecology which have loads of information supported with facts and figures that could make you yawn after going through a couple pages. But Guia’s will – is a different story all together.
It begins as an autobiography of planet Earth, I mean Mother Earth. Humans on one hand give her the status of mother and exploit her in all possible ways on the other! What an irony! May be this is how a mother is being treated in KALIYUGA!
The preface begins with Vasuda eva kutumbakam-meaning the Earth is just one family, the principle on which the authors have been living their life.
The beautiful language and the rich vocabulary is a treat to behold. Today when the standard of English language is declining and deteriorating, when even the so called journalists feel proud to use American slang or Hinglish lingo, Gia’s will is a must read.
It has quotes from Sanskrit to Julian Huxley to William Blake to R Emerson to Chief Seattle’s plea….the list is endless. The thoughts are well organized and the focus is not lost, there is a lot of information on the subject that unleashes slowly and beautifully like the break of a dawn. It is handled with such sensitivity that every sentence, every word written makes you ponder and take you on the process of self realization, if you are a sensitive human child of the Mother Earth.
You can not read it at a stretch like you read a work of fiction. You need to go slow, try to ingest and digest each word to understand it completely, for instance: the authors say “ Life is originated only once, life has exhibited incredible consistency over the past 4 billion years….” You, my dear, are related to all the human beings, extinct, extant and destined to be- You are similarly related to all the beasts, birds, insects and bacteria. You are life; life is you- That art Thou- Tat twam asi.
Later referring to the chemical building block of life itself ; DNA that oversees the Development, Nurture and Annihilation of life, thus embodying within itself the Holy Trinity of Brahma the Generator, Vishnu the Operator and Shiva the Dissolver, i. e. Srusti Sthiti Pralaya concept of Hindu Philosophy. ( Ch. 3. I am dying pg. 16)
It is really Mother Earth’s desperate attempt to awaken higher self of the Crown of Creation to their own betterment and to achieve her own salvation.
It is scientific, it is factual, it is informative, it is thought provoking and it is romantic. I would strongly recommend this book to all students, teachers, and educationists and to all the ignorant children of Mother Earth.
---- Arundhati Govind Hoskeri
