Today’s Book: The Go Giver by Bob Burg and John D. Mann

This is one of the most famous books among business fraternity. It talks about how “giving” can help one succeed in profession and business. The Go Giver “way” (as summarized here) is about proactively creating value for others, touching more number of lives, building networks, being authentic and staying open.

Saints and Changemakers have been “giving away” for hundreds of years. Now this book makes the case of “giving” as the best way to do business. The short story used to describe the “Five Laws of Stratospheric Success” is quite engaging and keeps the reader on toes.

This book has done its bit in promoting the concept of “value creation” in professional relationships – these days, it has become quite common to talk about “creating value” for others even before you do business. I would say it is a “must read” – most likely this book will open up your thinking about doing business.

Personally, my favorite story (not from the book) on “giving” is the story of Karna (but shared by many including Aparna Krishnan on Facebook):

Once Krishna and Arjuna were walking towards a village. Arjuna was pestering Krishna, asking him why Karna should be considered an unparallelled giver and not himself?

Krishna, turned two mountains into gold.

Then said “Arjuna, distribute these two Gold mountains among villagers, but you must donate every bit of it “.

Arjuna went into the village, and proclaimed he was going to donate gold to every villager, and asked them to gather near the mountain. The villagers sang his praises and Arjuna walked towards the mountain with a huffed up chest.

For two days and two nights Arjuna shovelled gold from the mountain and donated to each villager. The mountains did not diminish in their slightest.

Most villagers came back and stood in queue within minutes. Now Arjuna was exhausted and told Krishna he couldn’t go on any longer without rest.

Then Krishna called Karna and told him to donate every bit of two Gold mountains.

Karna called two villagers, and said “Those two Gold mountains are yours ” and walked away.

Arjuna sat dumbfounded. Why hadn’t this thought occurred to him?

Krishna smiled mischievously and told him “Arjuna, subconsciously, you were attracted to the gold, you regretfully gave it away to each villager, giving them what you thought was a generous amount. Thus the size of your donation to each villager depended only on your imagination.

Karna holds no such reservations. Look at him walking away after giving away a fortune, he doesn’t expect people to sing his praises, he doesn’t even care if people talk ill or well about him behind his back. That is the sign of a man already on the path of enlightenment”.