F?@k Knows

by Shailendra Singh

Funny and candid, yet rich in insights on how to really live life on your own terms, this unconventional self-help manual is unlike any book around.

What do you want from life? Are you on the right track? Are you truly happy?

If your answer to these questions is F?@k knows!, then this book is for you.

Find the answers to lifes most important questions with the help of uber-successful entrepreneur, Shailendra Singh, co-founder of Percept and inceptor of Sunburn. Told with sparkling, flavourful and in-your-face humour, this book will advise you on how to:

Find yourself (Because youre probably lost. Admit it.)

Follow your heart (Because if you dont then youll die unhappy,you stupid f?@ker.)

Achieve your goals (You know you want to.)

Live life like you give a f?@k (Because....why not?)

Candid and thoughtful, F?@k Knows will show you how to really live life on your own terms, to do what you want to do and not what you have to do just because your father said so!

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 2013

Reviews

[Ankita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woah!!! I am someone who do not use the word F?@k, If I really have to, then I use 'eff' and mostly I kind of just mouth that word, not say out loud, So Initially I really had a problem adjusting with it. Mostly I kind of skipped that word, Which was like skipping too many words a page :) . and yes usually I say "shut the eff up" when I am trying to sleep and my mind won't shut up. So if you are comfortable saying the eff word multiple times then this is the book for you.

The Disclaimer of this book is a must read, It's hilarious and witty.
Then moving on to 'How to read this book", point 5 .. shocked me :P, but yeah it is again a must read.

This is basically a part autobiography/self-philosophy/self-help book written by Shailendra Singh, a sports marketing guru, an advertising whiz, a Bollywood producer and MD of India's first and only entertainment, media and communications conglomerate. Also he made a S@?t load of money :P.
Most of the self-help books are filled with decent preaching and are heavy in content, where this book is light with witty remarks at the same time filled with real life experiences of Mr. Shailendra Singh and his philosophy.

Mr. Shailendra Singh had a cardiac arrest right after the demise of his father which changed his perspective towards life, he was ready to let go and join his father in heaven but many questions clogged up his mind, and the answes to all those questions in his term was "F?@K knows", he realized he had lived his life not on his own terms, hence the book took place.
The moot point of the book is, no one knows why certain things happens to certain people. Why do we care so much about others? About what they might think? and we don't know how long we are gonna live so it very important to:
Find ourselves, listen to our own heart
Seek our own desires, achieve our goals
Realize what we want to do and do it for no one knows how long one's gonna live. (like making a bucket list, for which he used his own term)
Live life like you give a rat's tail. (well he again used his own terms)
Starting was a bit slow and kind of depressing but then it picked up, His philosophies of life are pretty simple but profound, he seems like an old fashion dude for which I liked him, he is a kind of a Jock boy so I excuse the too much use of "Eff" word, and if one can get past that then this book is definitely a read.

Every Chapter of the book starts with a message/quote, sometimes witty, sometimes sassy, rude or effing awesome. His writing style is very casual and simple using day to day jock-boy-slang terms which I liked, he was rather blunt with his messages.

"Actually, this whole book is about the fact that only you know the answers to our questions. Me? I'm just a cool dude, telling you cool things."
"I was alive yesterday. dead today. F?@K knows about tomorrow."
"Some of your happiest feelings, may actually come from the same place your shit is made. How awesome is that?" (Scandalized much :P)
"You better speak up, before you are eaten up."
Parvati replied, 'I was hoping he would grow up to be an engineer."
You have to be a bit arrogant if you want today's society to respect you."
"You have only yourself to blame, and only you have the power of your own Khud Khushi'
"It's important to surround yourself with good people, good thoughts and good energy. If happy people surround you, it is so much easier for you to stay happy."
"You are capable of navigating this life. You just have to believe that yu are. Follow through on your own thoughts and ideas. And you'll see what magic you can make happen."

This book is full of such discerning messages.

He Produced the movies likes Pyar mai kabhi kabhi movie with a strong message that you could touch a HIV +ve person without getting infected. A powerful public service in 1999 when HIV/aids were like a taboo subjects.
According to him, ' No one really wants to acknowledge the darker side of the life.'
His analogies were really awesome, at one point he also compared something* with Nescafe and freshly grounded coffee beans. and OMG!! he used to watch SATC (I so wanted to say this).

All in all I quite liked it. I just had to find my own way with the book.

[Shah Saguna · Rating 4 out of 5]

F?@kin'ly awesome self- help book-- candid and thoughtful "F?@K Knows" will teach you how to live life on your own terms <3

[Vikas Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Background:

As the back cover of the novel proclaims --

What do you want from life? Are you on the right track? Are you truly happy? If your answer to these questions is ‘F?@k knows!’, then this book is for you. Find the answers to life’s most important questions with the help of uber-successful entrepreneur, Shailendra Singh, co-founder of Percept and inceptor of Sunburn. Told with sparkling, flavourful and in-your-face humour, this book will advise you on how to:

Find yourself (Because you’re probably lost. Admit it.)
Follow your heart (Because if you don’t then you’ll die unhappy, you stupid f?@ker.)
Achieve your goals (You know you want to.)
Live life like you give a f?@k (Because…why not?)

Candid and thoughtful, F?@k Knows will show you how to really live life on your own terms, to do what you want to do and not what you have to do just because your father said so!


Concept:

The book is, primarily, a self-help book written in the first person; part-autobiography and part-philosophy_of_life. As the book begins, it comes out that the author, who is a Bollywood writer/producer and MD of his popular entertainment company, Percept Pictures, used to take his life for granted before writing this book. His whole life he did what his father wanted him to do/be. It's not like that he dislikes his father due to that, rather the latter has been his mentor whole life. But the point being told is - He was led to live his father's life under his own skin. He never got the gist and need of living a life on his own terms.

But everything changes for him when he shockingly suffers a near-fatal cardiac arrest. He has a dream of meeting his father in the heavenly clouds and when he asks him certain questions regarding his life, the answer in reply always is F?@k knows. That's the origin of the title of the book.

Written in a very casual and easy-to-understand style for today's Gen-X and Gen-Y generations, it basically drools over the fact that we have got a single life to live and nothing else. Now how to live! Do we even care about our living from the inner perspectives of heart, body, mind, and spirit. How to be happy? Being happy is not just smiling over once in a while and get dipped in the loads of daily activities without being sad/depressive; if this state is not sad, then it's not being happy also. It's just neutral, like carrying our lives because we are breathing. No! that's not the way.... Be Happy, Follow your Heart and how to do that, this book teaches in quite a strange but understanding manner.


Likes:

I liked few of his ideas about healthy living, happy living. About giving priority to your life first but in an optimistic perspective.

Author's own life story merged with the teachings and other examples in, more or less, every chapter

Compilation of F?@k It list

Chi F?@k Po is a nice tutorial for filtering out negatives and only digest over what heart agrees.

The mentality to be developed of 'Just Done It' instead of 'Just Do It'

The book gets geometrically more interesting after 2/3rd of its reading is done. Life values take a higher place. I, individually, very very much liked the way he has handled the point of F?@*ing v/s love-making. Kudos to him for that!

Liked the way in which author has evolved himself in life after he realized life is very short. He resumed his cricketing, wrote a book, that's pretty much impressive.


Dislikes:

So much overuse of the word F?@k. I understand this word has got several different meanings other than the most usual one, but still I found it very much un-classy to use it in almost every second paragraph, every page.

Initial chapters drag too slow and not-very-interesting while reading

Free usage of direct slangs/cuss words sometimes

His irritating methods of Chi F?@k.


Overall, I won't say this book is for everyone. Only those who are willing to take control of life in their own hands and propel it according to their gut feeling, and reading about that in a f?@king manner, should take it in hand. Or else, you may not like it at all. Author's own lessons of life become your lessons while reading, and this is the gravity of the book, it's most important essence. So, grab a copy and change your life in as-it-is-proclaimed Shailendra Singh's way.

My rating: 3 stars out of 5 :)

[Fahima M (Hitch Theory) · Rating 4 out of 5]

For more book reviews, check out I Read, Ergo I Write

Some people would tell you that if you don't stand for swearing, then dont read this book. I'm telling you different. Even if you cant, just ignore it, go ahead and read it. But if you just cannot tolerate it, then go give the book to someone who does swear and ask them to block out all the swear words. Then read it.

How many people do you know who have fame, wealth, money, family plus rub shoulders with the who's whos of almost every field in India, and still question themselves if they really are happy? Well, Shailendra did. And when he found the answer to be 'no', he followed his heart in pursuit of his happiness. Lucky us, he has seen fit to share his wisdom in this book.

This is not a book that you should read at a stretch (like I did). Read it chapter by chapter, savour it, bit by bit. Like cheesecake ( ;) those of you who read the book, will get that analogy). Go pick it up from your shelf, read any random chapter, implement it, then come back and read another. That's the way to go about it.

Want to know what the reading experience was like? Shailendra's father, the late Mr. Magal Singh, said it perfectly - "He gives me wisdom in a manner which will make me laugh, but with a full understanding of the meaning of what he is saying.' Perfect description. Parents really do know their kids.

That brings me to the main subject of this book - Just listen to your heart, and tell your brain to shut the hell up! The author's suggestions on how to go about this are so much fun! Making bucket lists, writing letters to yourself, and practicing Tai Chi are a notable few. I found the 'Chi F?@k Po!' method especially hilarious because, in Tamil, "Chi Po!" literally means, "Ugh! Get lost!" & that fits perfectly with the sentiment behind the exercise.

The author is very insistent about two things throughout the book - follow your heart, and MAKE A BUCKET LIST (I have mine, if you notice). I found it almost eerily coincidental that he kept talking about fashion designers (yeah, you guessed it. I wanted to be one). And the fact that he writes EXACTLY like my sorta-Yoda friend, Aaliya, talks (swear words and all) didn't really help.

F?@k Knows is defnitely PG 18. It makes for a VERY uncomfortable read when you're sitting next to your busmate, and have a reputation of being a no-swearing girl. Which is probably why the author suggests the loo as a recommended venue for reading. But, I have to admit, some good old swearing does help to release all that pent up tension (though I still don't swear).

This book would be a big help to youngsters who are just stepping out into the world. So do a good deed. Take a marker, black out all the swear words, and two other chapters as well (!), and then go hand it it your younger cousin/sibling (preferably 15+). It'll do them a world of good.

F?@k Knows is a hilarious, crisp, no-nonsense (and sometimes gross) book with a voice that does not lecture, and hits the bulls-eye on every page. Read it. It's worth the f-bombs and other assorted expletives.

[Pallavi Kamat · Rating 3 out of 5]

F?@K Knows has been written by Shailendra Singh, a sports marketing guru, an advertising whiz and a Bollywood producer. He is better identified with Precept Advertising, the Sunburn festival and with movies such as Pyaar Main Kabhi Kabhi and Phir Milenge.


The book is a self-help book with a difference. Unlike other self-help books which are too preachy and, hence, come across as heavy, Shailendra adopts a unique style to present his views. The basic underlying principal is that F?@K knows why some things (both good and bad) happen to certain people and not to others.

The book advises the reader on:

• Finding yourself

• Following your heart

• Achieving your goals and

• Living life like you give a f?@k

The genesis of the book was the fact that Shailendra lost his father to lung cancer and he himself had heart-related problems. This led him to evaluate his life – what was he doing, where was he going, was he happy being where he was, etc.

The book has a few gems which are worth mentioning: “You realize you only have a few precious minutes in everyday to make the most of it.” “Monitor the P&L of your life as diligently as you balance the P&L of your company.” “You can only make fun of something that is popular, otherwise the joke is not funny.” “Being human is to realize the power that we have to make a difference.”

The author exhorts us to make a bucket list and actually keep ticking off items as we move along. He reiterates this point in three chapters just to drill it in. As a step towards creating the list, he suggests first making a list of things we do not ever want to be. A unique feature in the book is that he suggests mailing him our bucket list and he will remind us in six months about it!

He calls himself a life enthusiast and mentions that he is always pretty optimistic about everything around. He asks us to replace ‘have to’ with ‘want to’ and see the difference for ourselves. He asks us to not accept substitutes for the real thing and to lobby our successes. He also teaches us about the Chi F?@k Po exercise which consists of Block, Choose, Divert/Embrace.

The book has a nice compilation on a list of people who have made their mark on the world and have died pretty young. Prominent among them are Bob Marley, Madhubala, Steve Jobs, etc.

The writer’s writing style is casual and simple. Profound thoughts are put across in such a fashion that it is easy to grasp and implement them. The author cites quite a few examples from his personal/professional life to drive home the point. The title of the book is quite eye-catching and, needless to say, f?@k has been used quite liberally in the book. For those who may tend to get scandalized with its over-usage, please do not read it.

This review has been featured on my blog: pallosworld.blogspot.in.

[Pratibha Pandey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I rarely pick self help books. I have read my share of books when in college and when I began working , and though I did not like many or could understand it all , the lessons make more sense now. Be it career , life , spirituality , relationships or other phase of life , there is always a book about it. I can recommend a few to some one who genuinely wants to read such books But I will think thrice before suggesting this one. and here is why :

I am not a fan of the word *fuck* ! however you write it , you will say it like that. And the maximum number of times i use this word is once a week to say "wtf" ! And I do not know many people who say it either any more frequently.

I do not like anecdotes / incidents that refer to sex and related stuff. Neither do i gain any insight from such analogies . Like the chapter : Orgasm as character study where the author tells about watching 2 of his friends having sex ( with some stranger ) and finding a character analogy based on way they f?@k. As much it is amusing as title , I was not impressed. This was not according to my taste. Plus , such mentions make sure I am not giving this book to anyone below 18.

The author did everything according to his dad , struggled to make an empire , earned millions , suffered a heart attack and that's when he realizes he has not actually lived his life. That he has been doing it all wrong. It happens. But any way you tell this story , It remains the same. The story ( or parts of it) are mentioned many times in the book which kind of become a contrast to the stuff you want or hope to gain from this book. If other's stories inspired , we don't need such books at all. We all need to be convinced that we can make our own success stories.

Having said this , I will still tell you to try this books for some parts like - "And then ? and then and then" ; "Few of my favorite things" ; The cheesecake experiment ( If that can keep few people away from casual sex) ; Mind as technology ; Stop thinking , start doing ..

The author has some really nice ideas and some easy to digest philosophies. Some of the analogies , the examples and the incidents he sketches in the book are funny and wise beyond my age for sure. He has a good flow in his narration and doesn't sound preachy but he does sound some one *trying* too hard to be casual. The overdose of F?@K as a verb ( or adverb) might put you off. Not to mention you can not pass this book to just anyone. Not to my bro or mother for sure I know.

Confession : I read 120+ pages complete and then 7-8 chapters in random but then I was turned off by the one of chapter. . And then I only finished the chapter name and the subtitles ; which are good enough to get the context and gyaan in straightforward manner.

I rate this 2.5/5

[Nithilane Zenith reachers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Talking to a friend

One of those books that will get you good feelings while reading and even after finishing it...
His narration will stay for a long period of time in your heart

[Afshan Khan]

If you are from south you might be knowing about a festival by name "Ugadi" which is also called "Gudipadwa" in Maharashtra or may be "Bisakhi" in Punjab. I have tasted the special Ugadi pickle and it’s a different feeling when you taste it. It has 6 different tastes like sour, bitter, salty , sweet so on. Symbolically it marks the beginning of the new-year and a new age with all flavors of life blended in one pickle!

Reading Shailendra Singh's F?@KKnows gave me the same feeling :) The title intrigued me and the introductory note seemed attractive. Finally I clicked that button to review and have no regrets at all as I enjoyed reading it !! Subtle lesson for life & a humorous take on all the shit load we bear!
An excerpt from the book- " You can only make fun of something which is popular - otherwise the joke ain't funny !" Similarly the author cuts jokes on all the common but popular issues people face in daily life. The book starts in a light and giggly tone but then turns serious at certain page but you don't realize when and where it is as you are enjoying the roller coaster ride! The book is all about telling and re-telling you all the facts which you already know so that you really understand them and try implementing them and just feel overwhelmed by looking at a new you in the mirror. I was never in to self -improvement books like Norman Vincent's or Dale Carnegie's. I actually read them but never really followed whatever is told by them. The primary reason is basically we never like being told. Even though few quotes from the books were my favorites and I embedded them in my signature I never really heard to my "gut" or "heart" after reading them but after reading the innovative and interactive book by Shailendra Singh I for the first time smiled even while reading a self-help book which is not heavy or preachy yet gives a deep insight in to your day to day issues!


The book clicks as it has author's experiences and the way he narrates them in a cool and casual tone makes you feel that you are actually talking to him face to face. It might not be for heavy intellectuals or for people who use heavy vocab or who know it all. I am not exaggerating but I imagined him sitting beside me in one or two instances. In the chapter where he described about having cheese cake and compared it to having sex with the right partner I felt it was an amazing analogy. Whatever he told is absolutely true. Again we all know it but F Knows why we never hear to what we know :) The most touching chapter to me is the one where he wrote how he felt after his father’s death, the words written by his father mentioning him and his Thailand trip followed by Tsunami. The truth just hits you like that tsunami wave when you finish reading it. Go read and understand it because you already know it! You may also actually practice the Chi F?@K Po method - Block divert and embrace technique

The author easily connects with too many readers as he mentions their usual fears, likes , dislikes , the demons they fight on a daily basis, the movies he loves and what he learnt from them and I am sure most of us love few of those movies, we all being mad about cinema. The way he described the gut feeling and listening to gut is the best part of the whole book to me. It keeps coming in every page - flushing off mind and listening to the gut part! All the chapter names are very innovative and will be imprinted in your mind for long and if you really want to they will be there forever but for this as told by Shailendra you really should want them to be there . You don't have to keep them there :)."PEACOCK IN THE FOREST" , "WHAT GOES IN MUST COME OUT" , "DON'T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU WHEN YOU COME OUT" are few titles among the lot which were gripping. I would love to see few celebrities respond to few questions posed by the author in the book if at all they read the book!

The way author describes " How to read the book" in the prologue and the acknowledgements in the epilogue will definitely leave you in smiles. He fears he will be questioned by big authors like Deepak Chopra or Salman Rushdie for bringing down the levels of Indian writing but all his fears can go take a hoot as who the F?@K will bother about the intellect or language once he/she grabs this book! I am not faking when I say I feel better after reading the last page. I feel I should really jot down the F?@K it list and email it to the author. Have to really see if he replies back in 6months! Oh you don't know what F?@k it list is right? It’s just a bucket list with a cool name and much more emphasis is laid on the list!! You will also come across many naive as well as novel terms in the book which you will enjoy knowing and mind you the word F?@K shows up in every page or paragraph. If you are allergic to the terminology you may not enjoy the book!

Few chapter titles and snippets I really loved from the book.
MATH OF ME TIME - tells how much time you really got for your self!
I'D RATHER HAVE THEM LAUGH WITH ME WHILE I'M ALIVE, THAN CRY FOR ME WHEN I DIE
SWEETLY CRACKED- You are happy. You know it. You want to show it . DONT. The world might hate you for it
THE DEFINITION OF A GOOD TIME IS WHEN YOU DECIDE TO HAVE ONE
There are few more but I really feel you should read them all in the book!

All in all after reading the book if you have written down Who you are and what you really want ? and your F?@K it list is ready and you have already started implementing it then the first person who would be happy is - No mud heads it’s not Shailendra Singh - its "YOU" and only "YOU" :-) . The author if at all has time to know that someone got better after reading his book needless to say he would be elated. If at all I meet him in future I would surely love to "talk" and exchange smiles which very few people genuinely do these days!

Shailendra Singh is a sports marketing guru, an advertising whiz and a Bollywood producer. He is associated with Precept Advertising, the Sunburn festival and he made movies such as Pyaar Main Kabhi Kabhi and Phir Milenge after some incidents in his own life

Few things in the book were repetitive but can be ignored as we ought to read them again and again but it slowed down my reading pace a bit .One more thing which was not clear is about the legal issue in Middle east in 2008. May be the author chose not to disclose it but I was very eager to know it. May be I will mail him and ask :)

Other than the above two things I absolutely loved the book and recommend it to anyone who wants to feel better. You already feel better and enlightened?? Whom are you kidding? Go grab the book! It was such a good feeling when I finished reading it as I realized the author has fulfilled his passion as he "wanted" to write! Three cheers to him for his accomplishment!


My rating : 3.5/ 5

[Neelam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Shailendra Singh for writing such a powerful and enlightening Book...1st time I came across a book which is so simple,honest,straight from the heart and easy to understand. Book has a very practical approach. wisdom and knowledge Shared by Shailendra singh has opened up my mind to different dimensions..after reading a book I felt very light and I am in a happy space of mind.some chapters are mind blowing!! It gives you deep insight into Your own life.My most favourite chapters were ‘Guru is within you’ , 2 n half friends, mind as technology and follow your heart.after reading a book I got into realisation that I am on a right track by following my gut all the time.
I am feeling so Alive!! That’s the after effect of the book :) Thank you Shailendra Singh for putting efforts and putting all your wisdom and life experiences together..i am sure it has touched many lives ,at-lest it did Made lot of difference in my life..
Best wishes Always :)
Love and Light

[Huda Khan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought the book could be written in 100 pages, because after a point he is repeating the same thing over and over again, it's just that he's using different anecdotes. The point of this book is that we should do what we want to do and our true purpose is to find happiness but after a point the book stopped motivating me. I think his arrogance and pompous statements are a complete turn off and add to that a huge dash of his contradictory theories, and that was the perfect recipe for a 2 star from me. But, on the bright side, his writing is funny, so if you read this as an autobiography from a self-obsessed man, you may like it. But if you read this as a motivational book, I'm not too sure how motivated you would feel.

[Raunak Milton · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this book looks a lot more like a diary entry of a man who's made it large and successful and his philosophy in life. He does a good job of being quite witty about it in the process. But there are lot of things which he tells that only a few people can afford to do.The author here made good with his life and made it large because of his circumstances ,his talents and his family to support him.Not many of us are so lucky.

[Vivek Murugaiyan · Rating 4 out of 5]

nearly reading it for a couple of years occasionally like two pages per day so ... book is like talking with a friend so that it takes you different topics and emotions in a go ...simply no rules but you ll feel good with a little smile at the end .. way of approach by shilander made it different as he chooses candid way of telling instead of preachy ...

[Shrinidhi Venkat · Rating 5 out of 5]

When we think all the worlds problem is ours and crib, Mr.Singh Proves us wrong and even helps us take our problems with a very light heart. It's quite a good read :)

[Vipin Dwivedi · Rating 3 out of 5]

candid insights on how to live. Probably some one like a practical philosopher.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

The same mystic talk about soul and pure heart from centuries ago repackaged for a new audience. Many words about nothing.

[Avinash · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice and quite simple

[Abhishek Lodhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

F?@king inspirational and self help, instrospective read was this one !!! Enjoyed the style of the author, must read and don't forget to say f?@k it to problems / challenges and face it ...!!!

[Harikrishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very funny and candid writing style

[Subramanyam K.V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This life of ours which comes with a fixed expiry date makes us run day in and day out. We run after our dreams, our aims, ambitions and aspirations. At times this consistent chase for success resembles a rat race that’s full of fare with no time to stand and stare. We push ourselves to the limits with a hope that we will be able to control the race or at the least be on the top of it.
There’s nothing wrong in pushing ourselves to the limits or say running behind a goal as if there’s no tomorrow, however the fundamental question we need to ask ourselves even before we start running is “is this goal really mine?” Was it my decision to do this in my life, did my heart really choose this or was it something that was thrust on me? Am I struggling for my childhood dreams or for the perceptions and impressions of the people who made some choices for me?

For all reasons, the journey is more important than the destination and if we don’t enjoy the journey, the chances are really really dim that we enjoy the destination. It’s the journey, the wear and tear of the daunting tasks that we ought to enjoy, for that’s what makes us strong more matured and happier in life. Can we really enjoy the journey if it was not our goal to begin with, will we really be happy on that day when the entire life flashes in front of our eyes and we realize that we did not follow our passions? Wouldn’t it be beautiful if our passion and profession are the same? Aren’t these some questions we ought to ask before we start the race of our lives?

The monologue in the last few paragraphs, call it free gyaan or the piece of mind or whatever you want, might have been dull and boring (I would consider myself lucky if it is not J). However, when Shailendra Singh speaks about topics of this sort in this book “F?@K KNOWS” you are bound to enjoy. For, he assumes a completely informal tone and drives home these points in a very conversational way. Whatever I spoke in the previous paragraphs is just the tip of the iceberg compared to what Shailendra Singh has written in his 233 pages, which is divided into 75 chapters of this book.

Shailendra Singh calls himself as a B.T.D.T (be there done that) guy. He in fact is a sports marketing guru, advertizing whizz, a deal maker and a Bollywood producer. This man who has made Rs.100 million in his life, speaks about the importance of dreams and why passion should meet the profession in our lives. He takes us through his personal experiences, the way he learnt things and the way we should learn them in a very informal way. For sure, this book is not going to bring in the boredom. He doesn’t use an authoritative tone or the moral high stand which otherwise is used in most of the self-help books.

As Shailendra himself suggests, this book is not something you ought to read in one go. It’s better you read some chapters(one at a time is the most optimal way) let the content sink in, and then start of with the next ones. I would advise you having a highlighter handy as you might want to highlight/underline some of the salient ones you read.

The only complaints I might have with respect to this book is the “F” word,Some of you who know me might have been shocked by ”F “ word in the title itself right ? Conservatives like me might not enjoy reading the jargon, but nevertheless it might definitely strike a chord with most of the young population of India who for me are considerably more liberal and are happy using the word.

All in all a very good book, good to see, self-help books coming up from people who have been heavily successful. Do read the book it can make think in a dimension you were not cognizant of, till date.

[Rinaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book claims to help you find yourself, start believing & trusting your heart, thereby achieving your goals & live life “like you give a f?@k”. May be because I read this book with the intention of reviewing it, I did not exactly feel this would help me achieve any of the above claims. Yes Shailendra Singh is right, he does make sense but then some of these stuffs have been around for ages. We all know these things & I shall just give Mr.Singh credit for putting it back into our lives.

Some of my favourite chapters were on the lesser stressed out topics in self-help books, like the ones on eating right. The connection between eating right, thus staying healthy and similarly feeding your mind with the right thoughts to keep it sane was beautifully explained. I do admit though I am a bit skeptical about the whole “Chi F?@k” thing. I am all for the theoretical ‘gyaan’ & frankly can’t ever imagine trying out something like Chi F?@k Po! (Read the book if you want to know what it’s about)

Although clichéd I liked the idea of creating a bucket list or F?@k List as Singh calls it. We may not all have the courage to listen to our guts every time or have the guts to practise the unique techniques explained by Singh. The least we can do is to create a bucket list-not just something that we want to achieve before we die, a bucket list for every day of our lives. Setting goals for each day when we wake up, is an idea I really appreciate.

Now coming to the reasons why I think you may not like the book. First of course there is the free usage of the ‘F’ word. That’s not as bad as you think if you’ve ever heard of Osho’s explanation of the word. This book is for adults & if you’re intolerant of a bit of cheeky language then let this be a warning- the book has a lot of it!(what else do you expect from a book titled as such?) Also at some points I feel the writer is just a tad disorganized. It feels less like a book & more like reading someone’s thoughts-unfiltered, un-categorized thoughts.

Though F?@k Knows feels nothing like a debut, it is the first attempt at writing by Shailendra Singh & also one of the things-to-do on his F?@k It list. As a debut author I’d give him full marks, he has tried to be as helpful as possible & it’s one of the rare books that preaches but doesn’t bore you. There are interesting anecdotes & practical gyaan to some extent yet it failed to impress me. My personal opinion-not everyone can practically assimilate the steps mentioned here in real life & F?@k Knows at one point starts becoming one of those books that you buy, read once & forget all about it the other day.

[Jaideep Khanduja · Rating 3 out of 5]

http://pebbleinthestillwaters.blogspo...

Book Review: F?@K KNOWS: Live Life Like You Give A F?@k

F?@k Knows written by Shailendra Singh appears to be a combination of self confession, self help, autobiographical, philosophical and management book. Lot of things that author would have liked to do in life but was not able to have been prescribed. On the other hand lot of things that he should have done under various circumstances, realizing them later also have been penned down here. It emphasizes to be 'be yourself', be on ground of reality, listen to your heart before taking any decision, think before taking a call under any kind of situation etc.

Shailendra Singh, in his latest book F?@k Knows , has pointed out some very basic questions of life in a very philosophical manner. What one would like to seek from life? Whether one is on right track? What exactly would be the right track? Who decided what is right and what is wrong? And finally, a very fundamental question - Whether one is really happy in life? Shailendra Singh recommends this book to all those whose answers to all above questions is same and is just two words - F?@k Knows. As per the author, it is important to realize in life that you are lost. Once realized, next important point is to admit it and then start the journey of finding yourself by seeking real answers to above questions.

Another important point raised by Shailendra Singh in F?@k Knows is for acquiring real happiness in life, one must follow his heart. It might look like a simple line easy to adopt in life but it take years for some to really find out - What makes them happy? What actually they want in life? What is the right time to listen to your heart before taking any crucial decision?

Overall it is an interesting read, having a good amount of toppings of wit and humor but able to make you understand in a simple manner what Shailendra Singh wants to convey. Once you dive into this book, you will definitely come out with quite a good number of valuable stones filled in your heart and mind.

[Fleme Varkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

“What do you want from life? Are you on the right track?”… another self-help book worming its way to the charts? But when the answer is f?@k knows! then you know the author is as clueless as you are.

F?@k Knows! is the premise and title of uber-successful entrepreneur, Shailendra Singh, co-founder of Percept and inceptor of Sunburn. Let’s put away the title first F?@k Knows!…that’s not what you expect from a self-help book. A reader asked him this question, to which Singh replied, “To be able to articulate and represent the thought of the unknown, I couldn’t think of a better title than this. In the early ‘90s, just about anybody who was my influencer in life had used the phrase ‘God knows’ to death.”

Singh in a very witty way lays bare the things we are scared to confront.

A heart attack at the age of 45 changed his perception towards life. He then realised that, though uber-successful, it was not his dreams that he had been following all along. He tells the readers not to repeat the same mistakes. In many words, Singh makes an example of his life and his experiences to tell us why not to f?@k up. The book advises you to follow your heart, achieve your goals, find yourself and live life to the fullest. Nothing different from the numerous self-help books before this. But the way he presents it is different.

The expletive has been generously used over the pages adding to the whacky humour. Interestingly, it also reminds one of Osho’s famous discourse with the word. The author covers a lot of topics including body, mind, relationships, sex, right and wrong, etc… in words that you will have no problems understanding. Much better than the spiel doled out by self-help gurus, who as he rightfully says, just take a quote from a famous thinker break it into many convoluted sentences. This could be one of the few self-help books one could be persuaded to pick up. I would recommend it if you are looking for gyaan and a good laugh. Will this book be the next bestseller? Well… f?@k knows!

[Puja · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I have a confession to make & it is that, consciously I never ever pick up a self-help book. I rarely read them & less so follow them. My brief tryst with this genre started with “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” & ended with “The Alchemist”. In came along this read and I decided to give it a try & guess what?? I was not disappointed!! What sets this book apart from the others of its genre is that instead of being the usual boring & loaded with complex concepts, this a light and breezy read.

F?@K Knows has been written by Shailendra Singh, who has B.T.D.T. Been there. Done that. A sports marketing guru, an advertising whiz, a Bollywood producer, a shrewd dealmaker, founder of Percept Advertising – on first glance, one may think that he has it all sorted out. However, when twin tragedies strike in the form of his father’s death & his own near escape from death, the author suddenly finds himself asking some the most basic questions about his life. He then realized that he had been living it all wrong and did not want others to repeat the mistakes that he did. Hence, this book was born, where in 73 short chapters he talks about life’s lessons with humorous and interesting anecdotes.

Read the complete review at:
http://poojareviewer.blogspot.in/2013...

[Hemant Jain · Rating 3 out of 5]

F?@K KNOWS ... I have never felt comfortable using the F word but reading this book ... i am a changed man.

Simple philosophies of life .. that you would have read in so many other self-help books ... repeated here in this book .... but in a very very different F?@King manner ...

If you are sensitive to the F-word and will be very very uncomfortable being drowned in a barrage of the F-word variations ... then this Book is not for you. Read at your own Risk ..

I enjoyed reading this F?@King Awesome piece of writing !!

It gave life's simple gyan in a very different digestible manner.

[Vinay Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The language is such that you can’t help but laugh. It brings that in-your-face humor that the blurb at the back promises and it doesn’t preach. The author doesn’t say or push that he is right, and we must follow his “lessons” to achieve what we want. The book puts his thoughts as-they-are in front of us and tells us this is what can happen. Each lesson’s title also has that humor aspect, and is followed by the nutshell of what the lesson wants to say.

Complete Review: http://wp.me/p2J8yh-2bT

[Keshav · Rating 2 out of 5]

first kind of its book that i picked up, and i wasn't disappointed in the expectation that it would disappoint me. the book starts off-well but then goes against itself, and has an excess 200 pages. that said, the author tries to capture the young audience (but succeeds only in fits and starts), is direct (too much trash at most occasions) and extremely self-obsessed. there are 2 or 3 pearls of wisdom: about accomplishment and life, but then the accomplishments he justifies are later refuted. Also, he ruined a most beautiful word.

[Ngathingpei Khayi · Rating 4 out of 5]

They say don't judge a book by its cover but in this case by its name, because you don’t f?@k know about the author. He is the Joint MD of Percept Ltd - India’s largest entertainment, media and communications company and the brain behind the India’s most happening party Sunburn. And for you Holy-cows he is a god fearing man! At the end of the day what does a man wants – do good in his business, eat the best and hang-out with beautiful people and before hitting the sack thank God for everything. And that’s what this book is all about, you will find it all!

[Nishant Bhagat · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some books which appeal to your intellect while some appeal to the heart. I found another category in this book that hits you below the belt and yes, these are the kind of blows you remember for a long time.

An extremely unconventional book, it is written for a reader in their teens or 20+ but if you get what has been written then it transcends to whatever age you quote. The language is quite bold and in your face just like the author.

A must read for people who can't manage the more serious self help books.

[Tats · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book starts off great. I had only gotten it from a library but after the first couple chapters I decided to buy it. Very straight forward truths and while the points are nothing new, the way they are brought across is pretty great!!
The middle of the book is revolving a bit too much around death... Now, the author is making a point here as well. It's just the usual reaction to the topic but I felt that could have been shortened still...
Overall a brilliant read that kicks you in the butt to get you going.

[Manthan Ramani · Rating 5 out of 5]

YES, It was damn funny, but the content was made me serious.mostly non-fiction illustrates about the writer, but this book reflect you somewhere.
how is the F?@k life running?
what do we want from life?
why this F?@king thing happen to me only? the aspects like this covered in the book.it seems something philosophical, but it's not as it seems.The Hillarious narration never brought you up in boredom.