Media's story of A-SatyamevJayate

Media is a powerful tool in the present world, and combining the strengths of both words and visuals, it has managed to control the public in a very calculated way. Not an aficionado in particular, I simply like being aware of the world around me. But none of the news websites, papers or channels provide me with unbiased information. I am not very adept in making a judgment on these inclinations, but I am conscious of the bias because, whenever I am acquainted with a topic, it is always with a pre-conceived opinion. The entire news network created by today's media reeks of an air of prejudiced contrivance. And I absolutely detest the media's manifestations of artificiality and prepossession.

I place my opinions here in response to an article written by a renowned journalist commenting on a recent show SatyamevJayate. The author of the article, Mr. Pritish Nandy, believes that Mr. Aamir Khan unlike the journalists, only talks about the social issues rather than actually doing something about them. As the media force actually fights those evils, and creates an oppression for immediate actions, this show is a silent exhibition of sorrowful stories and grievous journeys of people who have suffered. Mr. Khan neither attempts to solve anything (since he brings out the problem, he is expected to solve it), nor does he take the front seat in starting some kind of a campaign and putting his life at risk. My one statement answer to this view of Mr. Nandy would be that he has either deliberately or foolishly, but completely misconstrued the idea underlying this show.

The heart and soul of SatyamevJayate lies in the idea of spreading mass awareness. It intends to bring out issues in front of people who are either oblivious of its existence in the same society they are living in, or they are ignorant of the gravity of those issues. Talking with people who have suffered is a way to bring about that awareness. And I never expected Mr. Aamir Khan to present himself as the intrepid savior of commons coming to our deliverance, trying to solve everything without us taking a single step. I never saw Mr. Khan as a leader of a revolutionary change, or looked up to him as a preacher of any kind. And I would never reckon him to take the bullet in his chest to bring about the change, as Mr. Nandy expects him to. This is because this show is not about Aamir Khan, it is about us.

Mr. Aamir Khan is the face of the show. People know him, like him, admire him, and so will be allured to watch the show. But when you watch it, do you think about Aamir Khan? Or do you think about the wrongs that are happening in our society? Do you wait for Mr. Khan to answer the questions for you, or do you actually contemplate it? This show tries to make you answer the questions yourself rather than someone else answering it for you. And I think that is the perfect start to finding a solution.

SatyamevJayate, unlike media campaigns or live discussions which have an offensive stance, is a serene yet steady demonstration of the social problems. Its sole purpose is to spread the knowledge to the masses for the sake of their information, security and improvement. The facts and statistics shown on the show are definitely in the circle of doubt, but that does not defeat the cause of propagating the idea of self-speculation.

I might also question the purely altruistic motives of Mr.Aamir Khan in making the show, but to quite a good extent, the motives are generous.
The article by Mr. Pritish Nandy is no less than a shoddy ruse of misrepresenting the good interests of the show. And there are people who vilify the purpose of the show and revile the host in the name of religion. I found blogs posting preposterous comments on the misuse of money for religious purposes and talking tripe about the religious differences. I wonder and also pity this parochial view of an Indian citizen by another Indian, who considers India to be rightful possession of a particular denomination. I am optimistic of such people being no more than a few grains of sand in a desert.

I believe that every change, small or big, is self-induced. A second person may at most motivate you, but cannot bring about the change unless you want it. Answers to all questions lie within ourselves. We just need to ask that question to ourselves and not to others.

Pritish Nandy's blog link: http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/extraordinaryissue/entry/does-satyamev-jayate-work

Appleism or Googleonomy?

If someone asked me that was I an Apple fan or a Google admirer, I would have scratched my head hard and ended up with several questions wobbling inside rather than answers. Rephrasing the question to what products you prefer would not help either, because the competition out there is mind-boggling. And the users being inundated with the deluge of products are ending up being scourged by this mess. I wonder what lies in that 10 mile radius where all the brains start working at a lightening speed trying to bring out their products like a shower of hailstones, and giving people just enough time to realize what they have been hit with before another storm strikes in. My words would seem like those of a start-up company trying to survive amidst this Apple vs Google rivalry. But no, I am just a user trying to figure out what is going on.

Apple was born around the same time as Microsoft, starting its journey with a fleet of computer hardware and software. That journey branched ahead to capture a wider market when Apple squalled in with a series of consumer electronics with the i- tag; the i-Mac, i-Phone, i-Pod and the i-Pad.  Most of the softwares that Apple produced also bore the same tag, like the i-Tunes, i-Book or i-Life. In fact, the heart and soul of the entire mobile venture was based on the operating system named i-OS. And whatever the reason was for this abbreviation (the most credible of all being to promote the products as internet friendly), it has proved to be the best marketing tool ever seen. These tags have created an empire where everything is flawless, perfect, gorgeous, one of its kind, and they follow a religion known as Appleism. 

On the other hand, Google started off in an entirely different league. When some emerging giants had provided the platform to revolutionize the world, the makers of Google decided to expedite the process. They provided the search engine that organized the world in a way no one had previously noticed in the presence of Yahoo and AltaVista. And then we became part of a world where everything you wanted to know went through a single action: Google it! And that practice defined Googleonomy. 

When Google started growing, there was nothing else to watch out for. Name an application and Google had something for you. Google brought to us the reality when what you think is in front of you. From various search tools, communication resources and web-based applications, Google entered the mobile industry producing its own softwares and operating systems. Some of the Google products did get busted but overall its stand in the market was never shaken. Not until Apple decided to do so.

Now lets see how that can happen. Google works on a principle entirely different from Apple. Apple believes in less and perfect. Google believes in diversity. Apple keeps its products limited to avoid compromising with quality because of dilution. Google does what it thinks is best for everyone, and to make a difference in whatever way it can. Apple embraces class and sophistication, Google appeals more to the simple man. If Apple had continued producing only desktops and laptops, and if Google had just been an Internet services provider, there would have been less confusion. Then probably Nokia would have been the mobile giant, there would be no smartphones, and Microsoft would be ruling the computer world with its Windows and taking full advantage of the exclusivity of Apple. But when there is science, thinking is never confined. And when everyone is thinking, competition gains grounds. 

So, while Apple was reviving from its downfall and returning to making profits with the return of Jobs and introducing i-Mac, Google started to nurture from the seeds that Page and Brin had sown, and in a blink of an eye became the top most search engine. Apple introduced the i-Pod, followed by i-Phone and Apple TV in the coming years. Versions of i-Pod, i-Phone and Macbooks kept luring people who started getting more addicted to the use of smartphones. Google kept winning grounds by introducing a brilliant business strategy called Adwords that made Google a multi-billion dollar company. They brought to the customers several desktop applications, search tools like News, Scholar, Books, etc. and Maps. They also introduced Google Maps and Earth for i-Phone, supporting the popularity of Apple products. There was no competition for Google communication products like Gmail, Blogger, YouTube and Picasa. But then the fields started merging. Rise of Facebook as the king of social networking caught the tail of Google's Orkut and led to its diminution. To parallel that Google introduced Google+ which was advertised as something more noble and mature than Facebook. But due to lack of users it remained there just more than a shadow. Apple jumped in with its novel concept of i-Pad, which made the other companies run amok. Then everyone started producing tablets. By now Apple had won hearts through i-Phone and i-Pod; so Google introduced its friendly adversary in the form of the first Android phone. Android developed its own fan following, and in a span of 4 years, it had defeated the sales of i-Phone. Samsung revealed a soft corner for Google and collaborated to introduce the other category of smartphones. The recent Galaxy III model even beats i-Phone in connectivity, let alone several extraordinary apps that come in the Android package. The friendliness though still public started transforming fast in the applications being introduced for mobiles. Google had Maps with navigation for Androids, i-Phone got it too, and now with their own navigation introduced this year. Google has Drive, Apple has i-Cloud. Apple had a TV, Google got one too. Google got Books, Apple has i-Books. Other comparisons include Google Music/i-Tunes, Docs/i-Docs, Wallet/Passbook and several utility based apps. Google also introduced its own Chrome Book, OS-X in comparison to Mac. But the greatest adversary that Google has developed an apprehension for, is Siri. Though Siri's capabilities are far advanced compared to Google voice search, Siri is more like a miniature version of human brain fed into the mobile that can actually defeat even the intuitive capacity of Google Instant search. And now when Apple is making friends with Facebook, it would be a scene to watch the market for an actual bull fight. (I am really glad for the Gaming expertise being out of their arena).

The bigger question now is-what are users supposed to do. There would be a large crowd of ardent followers who believe in Appleism and its philosophy of perfection. There would be others who believe Google is right because there is nowhere in this world that you can't Google. But most of us are probably happier with a mix of the biggies. The only things that prevents that from happening is compatibilty between the products. Apple makes its products so exclusive that either you buy everything from them or nothing. That can be a drawback for users like us who do not want to feel committed, rather look for things that serve best to our convenience. Apple running on Mac and i-OS confines people to use their products only, but Google at least gives the freedom of mix and match. With the market niches intersecting, it is an interesting and "survival of the fittest" kind of competition for the companies, and a tough analysis for the customers. I personally would enjoy the freedom, and so accepting the competent nature of apps and softwares, would like to possess Android. And as far as adherence is concerned, I would say - "I am not religious". 

The Eco-friendliness of the ORGANIC Wave

It is 2012, and whatever we have left of our environment to date, is still tossing in the hands of "Who cares" with "nothing much can be done about it" written on all facets in bold. It's funny how the countries that steered the air of Green Revolution, in a desperate move to save the hunger stricken world, are now singing the tune of Organic farming. It's all over the US market, at least a small section in every known chain of stores. And quite positively, this wave would have hit all the countries to different extents, the visual impression being stronger in the more developed countries and declining down in a descending fashion. I have been observant of this section since my first shopping experience in US, as it was not a familiar sight back in India. And recently, the sight at the Whole Foods Market swarmed by the wise environmentally conscious people just proved its stand in the World's most ethical companies.

It is a very common notion among public that something labelled "organic" relates to doing good for the environment. In a way, that is right. You are doing good to the environment by buying something which was supposed to be available at cheaper rates than the synthetically produced commodities, for the simple reason that organic farming is a new form of our prehistoric agricultural practices, before the onset of Green Revolution. And this is what is so ironic. When common agricultural tools could not feed the world, funds were raised, science was used to make the lands more productive and crops high yielding. And after scouring off all the aboriginals, in an effort to save the environment, an expensive way to make up for all that spoiling work is to toy with the Organic word. How safe!

This is now the picture of every developed and developing nation, including India. People are being educated about all the eco-friendly products and practices, money is allotted in the name of launching the "Green Market". But how faithful are the progenitors towards actually serving their environments? Is it just a money making scheme for them and a rightful duty for the commoners? How influenced will the public be with these stunts when they are burdened with the fight to earn a good living. Who will take care of the environment? Not those who criticize the rising fuel prices and own a four-wheeler per head in their family, and definitely not those who buy organic food and believe that global warming is only because of the sun.

It is true. While the republican faces literally hate the idea that global warming is in any way related to human activities, the democratic president supports his people by not only agreeing with human induced global warming, but also putting all the accusation on developing countries like India and China for the increased fuel prices and air pollution. That makes everyone happy. And so with almost the highest number of vehicles per 1000 persons, being one of the largest CO2 producing countries, and never ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, US stands strong in promoting organic food and claiming itself as one of the most environmentally conscious country.

India has different issues. Poverty, population and lack of education being the ruffians. And it has become a fashion to give a say on these issues; everyone has one. India has signed and ratified everything, and schemes and yojnas are being proposed and implemented through the Five-year plans. With the 11th Five year plan closing in, our agricultural country is aiming to reverse the deceleration in agricultural growth and to improve the income of the farmers. Isn't that too early to do?  The Planning Commission of India clearly indicate in their report that the faults and lacking efforts of the State Agricultural departments in following the norms of good agricultural practice. The Krishi Vikas Kendras are there just as a progress in papers. Moreover, most of the organically produced food is exported to other countries. Now with absence of education and resources, how is a poor farmer expected to follow all the rules of a good sustainable farming and produce something which would be sold at sky high prices in some other country? The current policies wouldn't allow the farmers to give in the certified organic produce as demanded with a meager investment.

I accept that promoting organic food/farming is at least a step towards sustainability. But with all the money laundering and inflation stricken markets, are the majority people even capable of buying the over priced stuff? After straining out the pockets, is there an extra penny left to spend on something which should have been there had not the money making stunts brought us to this stage. But as the old saying goes, no use crying over spilled milk, it is probably the future we should be worried about.

Common sense tells that future is built on the foundations of the present. What we have today is a result of the past and what we do now will give us a proportionate future. If we continue to dwell in the shallowness of the so called eco-wave, there is nothing but a disaster waiting for us ahead. The people already in the boat will be the ones to drown last; it's the commoners who are actually drifting in the flow that are earliest to succumb.

Facts apart, environment itself is a very naive thought. It includes you, your surroundings, and the relation you have with others sharing these surroundings. When you understand that, you know that thinking about the environment is basically knowing about yourself and the importance of your existence. Once you are above the biased education on eco-friendliness, you can give it a thought yourself. There is a difference between being educated to be environmentally conscious, and actually being environmentally conscious. And that difference boils down to just a simple frame of mind. Sort out your necessities from your luxuries. Burning a gallon of fuel to buy some organic food is not a very healthy idea. Neither is a full utilization of your 24*7 supply of electricity just to make your house look beautiful. Buying and throwing unnecessarily does not count as being green. Reserve and preserve. Spend thriftly. And do your share. A simple idea can definitely change your and others' life.

The Brutal and the Kind

Every night, I hear someone talking to me. Softly in  my ears, yes I think in my ears, but I am not sure. It just feels like I am absorbed into something, where the words are penetrating me, like through a sponge. I have often thought about it, about the "person" talking to me, but his words are so prevalent, I find it difficult to concentrate on his entity. Rather, I listen to him.

I am 45 years old, placed just right in what the society calls, the Middle Age boat. And its been years I have been listening to him. Sometimes he is too demanding, sometimes soft, and other days, he is just there; Present. But he is there all the time, watching me.

I wonder how he knows everything about me. Even those things I might have secretly fancied about, or the dread of some mysterious object which perhaps I had never embodied. I never feared him, not until that day.

I was 16. Youthful, inquisitive, charming, the dream boy of several girls of my age. In short, just Perfect. I had a dream of my own, to get into the best engineering school of the country. I knew I was smart enough, there was just one thing that concerned me. My best friend was my worthiest adversary.

The day was not far off when we would sit for the exam of our lifetime. Tuitions, notes and revisions captivated us, stealing even the miniscule of time spared for enjoyment. I worked on the problems with my best friend till one day, he fell ill. We were just 10 days away from the E-day and there he was on the bed, the flu withering away his body. I feared he would miss the exam, and prayed to someone every night(I was and am not exactly a theist) that he would recover soon.

One day (a week before the exam), my brother surprised me with an email, and I should say, I had never loved my brother like that before as I did on that day. The mail contained a set of questions prepared by some friends in his network, who were attending my dream school. It was a master list, with key questions that had a 90% chance to appear on the exam. Suddenly I felt weak inside, as if I was nothing without that list, I had no hope whatsoever to get through the exam without those set of questions. Someone whispered to me "This can make you win"; it was not a familiar voice, but what it said made me feel stronger. I was happy that day. And mildly fearful. That night, I could not sleep. I did not pray.

Just the day before exam, my best friend called me up to ask about my progress. He was much better and was going to appear for the exam the next day. I was too occupied memorizing the master list, and could not talk much. He asked if I had learned something new. I lied.

That lie never felt like worth a penny of guilt when the results came out. I had made it into my dream school and not just made it, I stood amongst the toppers who had all the privilege to choose the stream they wanted to get into. My best friend did make it in the lower ranks, and chose not to take admission in that school. I    missed him for sometime, the fun we used to have together, but I am not aware if I ever missed his competition. On that front, I was rather relieved.

I wouldn't say that I had a euphoric life since, but I did wear the shoes which millions would aspire to be in. And after successfully serving a multi-national company and having built a house for my family, the doom's day cast its shadow upon me. I was laid off without any distinctions for the drops of sweat I had shed for the company over all these years.

It did not feel like the end. It felt like several years of life had been rewinded and I stood there at the entrance of the examination room. Someone reminded me of my friend. It was the same voice that was with me all the time, talking to me all these years. He was calm, always, even if I avoided listening to him. I realized only then, that he was not the only one watching me. There was someone else, I had heard him that day. I had obeyed him. He made me lie.

That night was appalling. I was amidst an argument, a stronger, more familiar voice, trying to convince me, to make me realize my mistakes, and a meeker, but more imposing, making me believe that I was always right. I could not find a way out of that strife, no matter how hard I tried. It was more than just a shadow; it was like a parasite.

Those arguments had become more frequent. They were there mostly when I was alone, but sometimes they even captured me in a crowd. I don't know how they did it, how they found me, even when I was with people. The worse part was, I was losing my capacity to think. I was waiting till one of them decides something for me. I had become dependent on someone.

Suffering with these painful mind games for several days, one fine  day I received a call for interview in an esteemed company. I got it through a reference. This was The opportunity, I knew, and an impulsive voice bellowed, "Grab it with whatever you have". I worked hard, prepared and kept myself engaged in studies to avoid listening to any arguments. Unusually, and thankfully, there were none throughout this time.

On the morning of the interview, the news from my neighbors apprehended all the emotions one could imagine. The uncle staying next to us, was a dear friend, and a reverent person, very close to our hearts. He had suffered a major heart attack and had to be taken to the hospital immediately. I was the first person at hand, and perhaps the only one there who they could blindly trust. The issue was, I had to make a decision. I depended on someone.

There were arguments again. And this time they were all the more painful. Pain smeared with the feeling of emptiness, with the incapacity of not being able to think, with a guilt of something, with the love and trust my neighbor had for me, and such numerous things. It was no more a one to one brawl; I felt like the insect trapped mercilessly in the web ready to be consumed. Or perhaps I was already on the way to consumption.

Two voices, which was which, I could not tell. Both were imposing today. One forced me to rush to my neighbor and the other made me think of my interview. And suddenly I found someone pulling my arm and carrying me forward out of the door. My steps were moving across the lawn towards my neighbor's house. I felt like someone breaking into the web and saving me. I realized my ambience just when I saw the uncle lying motionless on his bed. Abruptly, the shrill sound of aunty's cries penetrated my ears and that was the only voice I could hear. My daughter had rescued me.

I drove him to the hospital and stayed there, till the operation was done and we received the news of his successful revival. I felt happy and calm. Everything around me endured silence. It was all enigmatic.

I missed my interview that day. And it has been 5 months since I received another call. But one thing has surely happened. I feel free; free from the one watching me. And I feel safe, strong and independent. There have been no more arguments, and my sleeps are painless. At 45, I am no more a toy of the brutal and the kind; I believe in myself and make my own decisions. I have become the "Master of my Soul".

Ek Sitara

Sham ek sitara…

dhundlate aasman mein….

kuch dheere kuch sehme….

bin awaz kiye…

is zameen ko dekhta…

kabhi badal se jhakta…

kabhi chand ki roshni ko odhta…

wo chota sitara….

Sochta…

ye dharti…pyari sunahri…

hazaron rango se saji….

zindagi ko roshan karti….

ye paani ye mitti ye hawa…

sab kuch to hai tere paas…

main ek rang ka…..

akela is jahan mein….

anjane saikdon ke beech…

apni hi roshni mein kho sa jata hoon main….

Is roshni mein dekhta hoon tujhe…

to ehsaas hota hai…

main akela khud mein hi jeeta hoon…

par tujhe kya kami hai…

kyu tu apno ke saath hokar bhi meri roshni se zinda hai…

Facets of life: The tale of Anna Karenina

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."

Oscar Wilde

Such is the tale of Anna Karenina, a lady blessed with the beauty and charm of an angel, embellished with a heart of pure innocence. Her persona reflects her inner beauty embodying kindness and forgiveness and her positive outlook towards life. But as it is said: Life is simple, its just not easy. This classic by Tolstoy represents the mosaic of romance and tragedy that reveals the truth of life; led by some, and mere existence for others.

Anna is a woman of immense admiration. She is a part of the affluent society surrounded by the well-to-do crowd, and is a dignified personality. Less do others know about her sufferings in personal life. Married to an aristocrat, much older than her, she is not so fortunate to receive enough love, care or attention from her husband. Mother to a very charming son, she devotes all her time to him, trying to forget her pain. There comes a moment in her life when things change; love enters her life in the form of Vronsky, a noble squire, who loves her truely and deeply. She falls for him and leaves her family, with high hopes of finding joy and love in future life. What confronts her is the price she pays for the want of love.

The story also unfurls the life of Levin, a country man, simple and somewhat unorthodox, who looks out for love in his life and is successful to find one, inspite of several downfalls. Even with his life complete as one can imagine, he is not happy, not content and seeks for a purpose in his life; a reason to live.

This classic not only draws out parallel between the lives of these two characters, but also contemplates the issues that are deep-rooted in the 'world of norms' called society. There is this lady, who choses love over a dormant relation, who sacrifices her celebrated image and becomes an emblem of mockery; and then there is her brother, who maintains his noble stature in the same society with the life of a philanderer. The way a woman is punished for her preferences in life and made to suffer is brought out very well through small instances.

There are illustrations of the relations between a master and his peasants, between men and women holding different statures in society, between brothers and sisters, between mother and child. Each case makes you ponder on the essence of the relation, where people make mistakes and how a relation evolves with the surrounding circumstances. It is a beautiful portray of the human disposition in different roles played in life.

As the story proceeds, there are changes in the lives of Anna and Levin, and both of them end up in a similar situation, where they struggle in finding answer to a question: "What is the purpose of my life?" They both find solutions, one in living it, one in leaving it.

"Sometimes questions are more important than answers"....so rightly stated by Nancy Willard, makes me think how important the question was in their lives that compelled them to take separate paths; and it is amazing to see how distinct the answers could be to the same question. The novel is an epitome of classic literature, surmising both the beauty and the hideousness of every human heart, which collectively builds the society. More than all, it makes you feel lucky, to be born as a part of the new generation, and aware of at least one reason which drives your dreams. If not, you can still find a purpose, because life, thats how it is. It just goes on. 

Almost "everything"

When I started reading it, I couldn’t remember how I came across it. But what I really knew was that it was all over and around me. I was too occupied reading it, was recommending it to all my friends, became my first choice as a gift to someone, and actually gifted a copy to a professor of my university. I loved the book, each and every part of it, and all the way was trying to figure out-“How the hell did I find out about it?” It wasn’t a million dollar question though, but human inquisitiveness is such that it never wants to forget the reasons why it loves or hates something. The question was finally answered with a statement that I hit upon while nearing the end of the book:


“There are three stages in scientific discovery: first, people deny that it is true; then they deny that it is important; finally they credit the wrong person.”

A distinguished professor made use of this statement in his lecture, which I attended by chance. I was intrigued by the appropriateness of the sentence and followed the reference to it, which happened to be a book written by Bill Bryson, titled: ‘A Short History of Nearly Everything’. Not to mention, I grabbed a copy from my library and spent the next few days reading it. And I should admit it was worth the read.

The title of the book itself is the catch. When you think about 'everything', your imagination could fly places, and you would be tempted to read just to know what exactly does ‘everything’ means. Here, 'everything' can be construed as all that is responsible for the existence of earth and life. Now you would say why, there is the Big Bang Theory, and all the evolution philosophies.  So here comes the author with a different version of all that you have known till now. In his words:

“This is a book about how it happened-in particular how we went from there being nothing at all to there being something, and then how a little of that something turned into us, and also some of what happened in between and since.”

He strikes with the emerging of the universe, how it sprang from almost nothing, and what was the main idea behind the Big Bang. He talks about everything- from Einstein’s world to Darwin’s, from the mightiness of an atom to the fragility of human race. Almost all forms of sciences have been discussed, including physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and geology, and he has managed to connect these different fields really well in seeking answers to questions which probably no one bothers to answer.

It is wonderful to note the curiosity with which the author approaches each faction of life. He looks at it from a non-scientific perspective, and it is quite amusing to see the way he perceived science in school. According to him:

”It was as if [the textbook writer] wanted to keep the good stuff secret by making all of it soberly unfathomable.”

Apart from the in-depth discussions on various questions, there are several facts mentioned in the book which would leave you flabbergasted. For instance, I came to know of particular names that were behind some marvelous discoveries and should have been credited, but they just got lost amidst competition, animosity, stubbornness and sometimes, indigence.

But nevertheless, it is a science book. The examples, experiences and views shared here are sure to captivate you, and make you look at things with a different eye. I am tempted to put down some of the quotes which I liked personally (some of them might be really long):

"Every atom you possess has almost certainly passed through several stars and been part of millions of organisms on its way to becoming you. We are each so atomically numerous and so vigorously recycled at death that a significant number of our atoms-upto a billion for each of us, it has been suggested-probably once belonged to Shakespeare. A billion more came from Buddha and Genghis Khan and Beethoven, and any other historical figure you care to name. So we are all reincarnations-though short lived ones."

"If you imagine the 4,500-bilion-odd years of Earth's history compressed into a normal earthly day, then life begins very early, about 4 A.M., with the rise of the first simple, single-celled organisms, but then advances no further for the next sixteen hours. Not until almost 8:30 in the evening, with the day five-sixths over, has Earth anything to show the universe but a restless skin of microbes. Then, finally, the first sea plants appear, followed twenty minutes later by the first jellyfish and the enigmatic Ediacaran fauna first seen by Reginald Sprigg in Australia. At 9:04 P.M. trilobites swim onto the scene, followed more or less immediately by the shapely creatures of the Burgess Shale. Just before 10 P.M. plants begin to pop up on the land. Soon after, with less than two hours left in the day, the first land creatures follow. 
Thanks to ten minutes or so of balmy weather, by 10:24 the Earth is covered in the great carboniferous forests whose residues give us all our coal, and the first winged insects are evident. Dinosaurs plod onto the scene just before 11 P.M. and hold sway for about three-quarters of an hour. At twenty-one minutes to midnight they vanish and the age of mammals begins. Humans emerge one minute and seventeen seconds before midnight. The whole of our recorded history, on this scale, would be no more than a few seconds, a single human lifetime barely an instant. Throughout this greatly speeded-up day continents slide about and bang together at a clip that seems positively reckless. Mountains rise and melt away, ocean basins come and go, ice sheets advance and withdraw. And throughout the whole, about three times every minute, somewhere on the planet there is a flash-bulb pop of light marking the impact of a Manson-sized meteor or one even larger. It's a wonder that anything at all can survive in such a pummeled and unsettled environment. In fact, not many things do for long." 

"It is a slightly arresting notion that if you were to pick yourself apart with tweezers, one atom at a time, you would produce a mound of fine atomic dust, none of which had ever been alive but all of which had once been you."

"Protons give an atom its identity, electrons its personality." 

“If this book has a lesson, it is that we are awfully lucky to be here-and by “we” I mean every living thing. To attain any kind of life in this universe of ours appears to be quite an achievement. As humans we are doubly lucky, of course: We enjoy not only the privilege of existence but also the singular ability to appreciate it and even, in a multitude of ways, to make it better. It is a talent we have only barely begun to grasp."

"It is easy to overlook this thought that life just is. As humans we are inclined to feel that life must have a point. We have plans and aspirations and desires. We want to take constant advantage of all the intoxicating existence we've been endowed with. But what's life to lichen? Yet its impulse to exist, to be, is every bit as strong as ours—arguably even stronger. If I were told that I had to spend decades being a furry growth on a rock in the woods, I believe I would lose the will to go on. Lichens don't. Like virtually all living things, they will suffer any hardship, endure any insult, for a moment's additional existence. Life, in short, just wants to be." 

Mentioning about the doomsyear 2012, he says:

“We have been chosen, by fate or providence or whatever you wish call it. As far as we can tell, we are the best there is. We may be all there is. It’s an unnerving thought that we may be the living universe’s supreme achievement and its worst nightmare simultaneously.”

“….I mention all this to make the point that if you were designing an organism to look after life in our lonely cosmos, to monitor where it was going and keep a record of where it has been, you wouldn’t chose human beings for the job.”

So, though not exactly everything as one can imagine, the book talks about everything that is truly responsible for our existence. I might just take another opportunity to read it again, for those who haven’t, give it a shot. You will not regret.