26/09/2023
Reflections after Retirement in the ‘Age of Entertainment’
A Book Review by Kopal Vats, asst prof department of english , mohan lal sukhadia university,udaipur
As we live in the age of a flood of content on social media nowadays, it is becoming increasingly difficult to pause and reflect. As a teacher, I am getting accustomed to the reality of the declining attention span of the young generation and simultaneously to the tremendous decline in the tranquil value systems of yesteryears. I am reminded of having read somewhere that the ‘modern body is underworked while the modern mind is overfed’. We live in the Age of Entertainment where the mark of a good life is an infinite loop of amusement and distraction. More money means more entertainment. In the times when an exorbitantly expensive phone becomes outdated in six months, there is barely any time for people to recollect the wisdom of the old days. Nonetheless, the book Age of Entertainment by Prof. Naresh Dadhich comes as a collection of insightful reminiscences carefully garnered over his experience of close to forty years in the academic world. The book is published by Notion Press and is a lucid read of around 150 pages; nearly three hours of uninterrupted reading.
The book contains forty two essays covering a wide range of topics from love to the tenets of Quakerism in America. It is a beautiful collection of pearls of wisdom that the writer has gleaned from various sources, experiences and hard-earned learning that life has to offer. The book opens with a simplistic series of musings about topics as warm as experiences of a teacher, pleasures of reading, benefits of writing, beauty of a leisure day and gradually moves on to introduce to the novice reader, the foundations of liberalism, political thought, Gandhian Philosophy, evolution of humans, even to the point of simplifying Kierkegaard and Jiddu Krishnamurthy for young readers.
The book is a compendium of simplified knowledge about a variety of wide and key subjects in the most lucid yet thought provoking language. The book works on two levels; firstly it deals with the personal experiences of the writer about very relatable issues like boredom, infatuation with astrology, loneliness of parents of NRIs, the longings of a retired teacher, need for love and acceptance of life, nostalgia for the time spent with some noted teachers and colleagues who turned into an inspiration for the author, silent observations during morning walks etc. Secondly, the book offers detailed but simplified views on complex philosophies and personalities of key figures that revolutionized the world forever with their beliefs such as Mahatma Gandhi whom the writer upholds as a paragon of harmony between thought and action, Martin Luther King Jr, Yuval Noah Harari, Hannah Arendt, Khushwant Singh, Shashi Tharoor, Osho and many more. In essays dedicated to serious concepts, readers will find voluble discussions upon Nationalism, Quakerism, Democracy, Elective Despotism, Indian freedom struggle, Psephology, Elections in India to go as far as an essay titled ‘History of Indian Food’; a delightful read.
It is natural for any reader to find some parts of a book more interesting than the rest and I too have my favorites among these essays. The essay about Hannah Arendt and her relevance in the modern world ridden with power struggles, is a wonderful piece purely because it presents an orderly summary of her ideas and writings very useful to any interested reader. As a reader, I have come across the name Hannah Arendt in many articles and scholarly mentions in recent times but purely out of indifference did not feel the need to read her works with dedication. The essay, therefore, serves as a guide to her writings and philosophy in the most cogent way. The idea about evil being a consequence of absence of imagination is thought-provoking. Similarly, the essay about the Cicero brothers, Marcus and Quintus, reads like a wise roman tale and yet again, reiterates the wealth of wisdom that is found in classical thought, profound and relevant for a modern reader as well. Another gem in the book is the essay dedicated to Khushwant Singh who was well known for his cheeky demeanor in the circles of post-independence Indian writers and press. The writer very aptly calls Khushwant Singh the Osho of Literature; a comparison well deserved and irrefutable.
An interesting aspect about the collection is that the writer introduces the readers to a plethora of insightful books in nearly all of the essays that serves more like an important book-catalog for interested readers. There are mentions of great books like How to Win an Election: An Ancient Guide for Modern Readers by Cicero, The Verdict: Decoding India’s Elections Prannoy Roy, The Sultan of Swing, biography of Sir David Butler, Feasts and Fasts: A History of Food in India by Colleen Taylor Sen, Either/ Or by Kierkegaard, A History of England by Lord Macaulay etc. Clearly, each of these books can lead the reader to a new path towards more focussed learning.
Despite the erudite passages on academic or political topics, the book’s highlight however, is the author’s personal musings and revelations about life as a retired professor who is making mindful efforts towards leading a more meaningful life post-retirement, the final quarter or the twilight years. There are chucklesome mentions of love for tea and Surya namkeen, affections of a grandfather, keeping pace with technology, cozy conversations with friends on landline, candid conversations with cab drivers in the Netherlands, frisking sessions at Israel airport and the most surprising of them all; the Vice Chancellor waiting in a queue for food at an American university.
The book’s language is plain yet scholarly reflecting the finesse of an experienced teacher who like Francis Bacon opined, ‘has chewed and digested’ vast repositories of knowledge over a life dedicated to teaching, learning and research. Each essay is well structured; however, the chapters can be rearranged in theme-based clusters for more effective reading. Also, there is scope in the book for more relatable themes as well, such as ideas on relevance of teachers after AI and academic integrity in the age of privatization along with some honest views on impact of rigorous demands of academic institutions especially in the context of women scholars and teachers. Overall, the book is an interesting read with ample takeaways for serious learners. A highly recommendable book for especially young readers, who are far from aware of the teachings of stalwarts like Cicero, Kierkegaard, Osho, Krishnamurthy, Arendt etc. Others should read it for its warmth and clarity in the delusional age of entertainment.
