Swami Vivekananda: A Biography

by Gautam Ghosh

"After so much tapasya I have understood this as the highest is present in every being.there is no other God besides that.he who serves all beings serves God indeed."-Swami Vivekananda A journey through the life of Swami Vivekananda is a study of the Indian civilization,it's ethos and value system.Not only did his message of tolerance based on the knowledge,make him an exemplary spokesperson of the country but his life's mission of creating an order of monks who dedicated their lives for others,made him a prophet and a leader.His teachings continue to be relevant even today,especially in the light of the prevailing intolerance and fanaticism in the nation and the increasing turmoil in the world.

Genres: Biography, Spirituality

160 pages, Paperback

First published January 12, 2003

Reviews

[Rajiv Bhattacharya · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book at all. I was intrigued by Swami Vivekananda's personality and wanted to know about his thoughts and philosophy..Instead the book presents a complete itinerary of Swami Vivekananda's travels and discourses. The whole book is filled with content like " Swamiji went here and then spoke there and people were impressed"...Not worth a read..While reading this book, I moved to other interesting books a number of times and finally shelved this book..Give it a miss...It would be better to read about Swami Vivekananda online.

[Nistha Tripathi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having been fascinated by what a man can achieve in a short life of 39 years and whatever [little] we learn of Swami Vivekanand in normal life, I picked up this book with great enthusiasm. Initial chapters were still fine as they gave a peek into his earlier molding and what Swami ji was like as a child with visible powers and charisma. But after that, the book declined to a commentary of his travel plans and schedule. Nonetheless, reading the book in hardcover showed some magnificent pictures and has increased my curiosity. I shall now proceed to read Complete works of Swami Vivekanand. So, treat this book as a precursor, a preface to Swami ji's own works. I wish there was more description of what inspired him and his thought processes. But I guess it is difficult to estimate that with limited historical accounts.

PS. Even Swami Vivekanand's pictures are enamoring and riveting. I almost envy the people who had the pleasure of hearing/watching him alive.

[Nitin Jain · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid introduction to the life, thoughts, and towering personality of Swami Vivekananda. The book does well in capturing key life events including the fascinating and lesser known details around the 1893 Chicago Parliament of Religions, the friction he faced from rival Indian representatives like Brahmo Samaj and Jain delegates, and the resistance from Christian missionaries who saw his rising popularity as a threat. The first half is engaging and well paced but the second half loses momentum and feels comparatively less detailed. There are richer and more exhaustive biographies on Vivekananda out there, but this one holds its own as a good contextual read for anyone wanting to understand the man, his struggles, and his message.

[Dr MAHESH DOCHERLA · Rating 1 out of 5]

Mostly, a simple record of his lifelong itinerary. Really boring. Sycophantic towards the subject of the biography. No criticism or explanation of his philosophies or contrasting with other contemporary philosophies. No discussion about how his philosophy is different or why it is great.

[Prateek · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a naive reader i thoroughly enjoyed the book.