Book review: The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

NITESH KUMAR SHAH

(Worked as faculty at Little Angel’s College of Management)

Introduction

According to Lao Tzu (Father of Taoism), if you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall
into place. The statement signifies how important our mind is and what we can achieve if we
cultivate it well. A well cultivated i.e. a healthy mind will blossom beyond our expectation. The
quality of our life literally depends upon our thoughts. It is said that even the best-conditioned
thinkers are using only 1/100th of a percent of their mental reserves. Only well-trained mind can
explore the untapped potential of the mental capacity.

The current world has become highly competitive which is the prime cause of rising level of
stress. In the pursuit of their dreams people face setbacks and ultimately give up the race be it in
business field or any other. This all happens because people are not able to unshackle themselves
from the negativity that pervades around them. So, one has to get the control over his/her mind to
excel in any field. “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” is a self-help book which is crafted to help
the seekers in training and strengthening their mind for living courageous, balance, abundant,
and joyful life. The author Robin Sharma has created an enchanting tale that incorporates the
classic tools of transformation into a simple philosophy of living. The tools suggested in the
book are the outcome of fusion of the wisdom of the great philosophers from the East and West.
This is one of the best books I have read as it looks into the deeper aspects of life.

The Fable

The book takes the form of fable about an enormously successful attorney, Julian Mantle. He
was blinded by the illusory version of success, and was never satisfied. He had every material
possession anyone could want, he still had not found whatever it was that he was looking for. In
his unsatisfying endeavor his marriage failed, he no longer spoke with his father and at fifty-
three years of age he looked as if he was in his late seventies. The story is told from the
perspective of one of his associates, John, who admires Mantle’s achievements and toils to
become like him.

But the attraction towards material possession vanished after he survived after a severe heart
attack. His perspective towards life changed and he sold all his property. He abandoned the
mundane life, and left for India in the search of meaningful life. There he met with sages in the
Himalayas, and transformed his life completely with the help of their knowledge. According to
the promise made to the sages he returned to share his knowledge. He began sharing the blissful
knowledge which he got from gurus in India.
The Concepts

Seven virtues shared by Julian to John are well elaborated separately in the last seven chapters of
the book. Besides that at the end of those chapters the message shared in the chapter is presented
in summarized form. Extract of those messages are as follows:

1. Master Your Mind: Learn to focus, consciously eliminate negative thoughts from your
mind, and envision your dream becoming reality
2. Follow Your Purpose: Examine yourself, know your goal, attach a timeline to it
3. Practice Kaizen: Focusing on continuous self improvement
4. Live With Discipline: Recognize the importance of willpower while forming new habits
5. Respect Your Time: Adopting a “death-bed mentality” – living each day like it’s your
last
6. Selflessly Serve Others: Daily acts of kindness and cultivating richer relationships
7. Embrace The Present: Live for today – stop looking ahead and waiting for things to be
better down the road; enjoy things as they happen

Critical analysis

Book contains treasures of wisdom that can certainly enhance the life of every single person if
embraced in daily life. Besides that the way the contents of the book have been structured makes
it very special. The presentation is so impactful that it will resonate in your mind. Today money
and prestige have become the ultimate goal of our life. In the pursuit of our goal we all are in the
rat race for material possession and it has completely blinded us. This book can become an early
wake-up call for all of us. It is totally relevant book for people pursuing career in any field. I
strongly believe that it has the potential to make you best in the field you have chosen.