Vivekananda Reader

This book consists of a cross-representative selection from the complete works of Swami Vivekananda which would give some idea of the vastness of Swamiji?s mind. The selections have been condensed using only the words of Vivekananda himself, in order to give a concise yet complete flow of his ideas. Book Review: The commemoration of the 150th birthday of Swami Vivekananda has brought a rich fare of attractive gifts from Ramakrishna Math. Vivekananda Reader stands out as a fine compendium of Swamiji?s teachings. The compiler has brought together the significant teachings of Vivekananda. As a spiritual leader Swamiji was not conditioned by ideology and was far ahead of elitist modern secularists and rationalists. He wanted people to possess a Vedantic intellect with Islamic physique. The plight of the downtrodden saddened him in the extreme; serving them as manifestations of Almighty was his passion. In brief, the book directs readers? attention to the sagacity pouring like ?roaring cataracts? from Vivekananda. Its contents awaken the conscience of the stolid to a spirit of service. As indicated in the back cover, modern youth struggling either in a social ferment or in a fraught domestic relationship should reach out to Swamiji?s wisdom to realize the value of life and avoid the danger of turning mavericks. Reading through the 9-volume Complete Works may be a tall order. An abridged version edited with care to reflect Swamiji?s thoughts in his own words will therefore be welcomed. Vivekananda Reader is a remarkably low priced well researched work; many readers would be inspired to study the 9-volume treasure.