Review: The Mind Game

The Mind Game by DEVIKA DAS
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Our emotions play a big role in our life. According to Dr Daniel Goleman, ’emotional intelligence is defined as a set of skills or competencies, which provide human resource professionals, managers, and anyone in the world of work, with a comprehen­sive tool to define, measure and develop emotional skills’. Emotional intelligence can also be defined as the capacity to recognize our own feelings and those of others for motivating ourselves and managing emotions well in our social interactions.

This book about recognizing our emotions and controlling them to our advantage. The book is divided into six sections which are interrelated. Section 1, 2 and 3 deals with mastering emotions, living with less and analysing people.

What is the need to control emotions? This is essential for our wellbeing and cordial relations with others. Looking ahead, knowing ourselves, learning from others, guiding emotions etc are many tools to control emotions.

Section 4, 5 and 6 deals with being happy and not getting angry. Happiness is not only in material things but is a holistic concept. There are many things required for being happy and money is only one of them. Anger causes trouble in family and workplace. This is related with our upbringing and how we see aggressive behaviour. Saving email as draft, taking a walk, playing, talking with affection are some tools to control anger. The last section deals with workplace happiness. We spend most of our waking hours at work and happiness there is a must for productivity and peace of mind.

The book is written in clear concise language. The flow of ideas is great. In each section firstly, the problems/ issues are listed out. In later chapters the solutions are given. There are many practical tips throughout the book.

But there are some problems as well. The book becomes too theoretical at times. Sometimes the stress is on some vague ideas. There is some dichotomy too. In once chapter it is said that that all emotions are good but in sections 4 and 6 all the stress is on happiness. In section 6 all the onus of happiness of worker is on himself alone. But that is not the case. In many organizations where they are given impossible targets and paid peanuts how can one be happy. Whole section 6 is like a corporate propaganda.

Overall a very good book. 4/ 5 stars.







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