Book Review | WHY- Reason For Every Action |Abdul Ghaffar | Criticspace Journals

A pragmatic approach to make us think better

The famous startup research writer Thomas Oppong has once quoted that nothing gives a person the wholeness of peace like a distinct understanding of their actions. True, no? Our actions define us, and as soon as we realize the reason behind our actions, our thought process is cleared. This book, WHY is a comprehensive analysis of the reasons behind our existence, persistence and every action we take forward towards our goal. 

Mr Abdul Ghaffar could pace the book right from the first page you turn. A self-help book that doesn’t go on the verge of preaching but takes a pragmatic turn in deciphering the utmost necessity of questioning ourselves before any action. The book starts with an introduction to WHY where the author describes how the purpose of our action determines the reason behind our behaviour. It brings cohesion between the cause and the courage, both of which is essential behind an action. Interestingly, the author takes refuge in scientific analogies to teach us the true meaning of WHY. So is this an anthology of behavioural science experiments? The answer is No. The author has specifically chosen realistic examples and various incidents from world history, both ancient and modern and deciphers the significance of WHY. The narration becomes all the more facund with Bernard Baruch’s famous quote- Millions saw the apple fall, but only Newton asked Why. Several such quotes are aptly placed to make every chapter meaningful. 

The purpose of this book remains quite clear. Mere thoughts cannot change the world, but actions can. On the same note, the author emphasizes how human minds conceive an action. Is everything out of the blue? No. Then why do we do anything? And that answer begins in the second chapter. Our minds are always brimfull with questions. The knowledge we gather is a mere outcome of solving those questions. This chapter takes the reader from the literal origin of the word WHY to the purpose behind WHYs. Curiously, it navigates through different types of WHYs. Did you know that? In short, this chapter is about redefining WHY and how it identifies authority. As the author says, “your value and your why are interlinked.’ 

As you proceed further, the book welcomes you to the trilogy of WWH conundrum. What-Why-How. What we do carries a preceding factor of Why to do that and then comes the process of How to do it. Through excellent examples of political leaders like Hitler and Alexander, the author introduces the readers to his goal-setting theory and value addition theory. The biggest asset of this book is its lucid language, practical examples and no-nonsense approach. Every page you turn, you realize how conceptually clear the author is. 

It is curious that in a bound book of mere 161 pages, every concept is so thoroughly analysed. Overpassing a few editorial errors, the narrative is neither restricted to any age nor a social stratum. Every point the author picks up is supported by shreds of evidence. While scrutinizing the various aspects of WHYs, the book tries to remove the ambiguity between motivation and manipulation. It churns out the importance of clarity in goal setting, making priority lists. It talks about the persistence of efforts and how to kill the fear-psychosis and in turn, teaches us how to inspire others through our actions. The different types of manipulation viz, positive, negative, personal, social, or external-internal are well described. Gradually, the author makes you believe how WHYs are the source of our motivation and how action, direction, intensity and persistency play a role in motivating us.

Nothing in this world is purposeless. Be it an individual or an organization, they all move forward with a purpose. So WHYs are ubiquitous and essential for overall growth. And before you conclude, the book urges everyone to know your WHY. There is an utmost necessity to understand your WHY. Knowledge gives the purpose while necessity creates the purpose and our willingness to work towards meeting our needs makes us meet our goals. The gist is; to get the desired result one needs to dedicate quality time and honest efforts which is possible only when one realizes the reasons behind actions. Deciphering the WHYs create a robust attitude and help one to be consistent. This book ends on a beautiful note; named Innocent Curiosity, perhaps different from the other bestsellers but certainly adds an unexpected value to this book.

WHY- Reason For Every Action is Crisp and Concise, thoroughly researched and well structured and carries an effortless narration that makes this book an excellent self-help book.