Orison Swett Marden His Life and Ideas

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Once in a a way, one comes across a literary work which leaves footprints for its eternal values for the posterity. This compendium of "Life and Ideas of Orison Swett Marden" which I have just gone through is truly such a publication.

In his lifetime, Marden continued to write and preach from his strong convictions about moral values and human behaviour on a variety of subjects. In search of excellence, his writings encompassed almost all fields of human endeavour and self-improvement.

In this compilation, author has spent years of research in going through Marden's prolific writings spread over a large number of books. It shows the author's scholastic mind and approach to include such vast treasure of Marden's thoughts in one single publication. Every page in the book represents the essence and philosophy of Marden in a true sense. These are like golden nuggets of paragraphs after paragraphs with immense moral values.

I. J. Bhatia had his early education at St. Peter's High- School, Mandalay. He graduated from the University of Mandalay. He was for some time a Tutor in the Department of English, University of Rangoon.

On return to India, he went for his M.A. in English at the University of Delhi. He joined Shyam Lal College as a Reader in English. He retired in 1992 and moved to Nasik. His eldest son is in Nasik. Two sons are software engineers in America. He visits them on a regular basis and has been to the States five times.

I stumbled upon the Hindi translations of the books of Orison Swett Marden while selecting academic prizes for my students. I came to know Orison Swett Marden was the greatest humanist of the last century and he had written about 50 self-improvement and inspirational books. In his own words the purpose of his books was: "To arouse to honourable exertion, youth who are drifting without aim, to awaken dormant ambitions in those who have grown discouraged, to encourage to a higher resolve those who are setting to make their own way".

I wanted to read the original works of Orison Swett Marden but they were not available in India. When I first went to America in 1994, I looked for the books in leading bookstores and libraries but not a single book was to be found anywhere.

I was told the books of Orison Swett Marden, who wrote between 1894 and 1924, were scattered all over America in various University and College libraries and it was possible for me to get these on Inter-library Loan.

I requested the librarian and the staff of Hennepin County Library in Plymouth to get me these books. They readily obliged and without their help, the project could not be completed. They had to go as far as the University of East Carolina and the University of North Dakota and sometimes it took a month to get a book. On one visit, which lasted about six months, I could not lay my hands on more than ten books.

It has therefore taken me ten years to complete the project, but it has been worthwhile. It has been a labour of love. It has been a dream project and has now come to fruition.

Dr. Marden's message to the youth was: "Whatever you do in life, keep in an ambitious-arousing atmosphere. Keep close to those who are dead-in-earnest, who are anxious to do something in the world. You will catch the spirit of your environment."

It has been my endeavour to give a gist of the ideas from the extensive library of the Marden Books - the best in his inspirational philosophy and practical teachings.

I am indebted to my daughters-in-law, Rachana and Kalpa, for getting me the books of Orison Swett Marden on Inter-library Loan. I wish to thank my sons, Ajay and Vinay, for helping me to procure personal copies of about a dozen books of Dr. Marden - including the original 1909 edition of Peace, Power and Plenty, which I treasure the most.

Mr. I.J.Bhatia, ex-Reader in English, Shyam Lal College, University of Delhi, has burnt midnight oil for ten long years during his retirement period to compile and edit this book 'ORISON SWETT MARDEN - HIS LIFE AND IDEAS'. It was an uphill task for him to collect honey from each and every book of the famous American author and present it before the prudent and selective readers of the world!

I am thoroughly taken aback to find that Orison Swett Marden's works ranging from 1894 to 1924 are scattered all over America in various University and College libraries. I.J.Bhatia took help from Inter-Library Loan Service and assiduously studied all the self-improvement and inspirational books of Dr. Marden and then condensed the ideas in this neat volume.

Every page of this book is worth its value in gold. The inspiring life of Orison Swett Marden is also presented very beautifully in this volume. All the twenty chapters in the book are like twenty precious diamonds in a royal tiara. Dr. Marden's views on many selected topics as well as other gems from his precious books are presented to the discerning seekers in a lucid manner.

Mr. Bhatia has done me the honour by requesting me to write a 'Foreword' to this fine volume - a pleasant task indeed, which I have undertaken most willingly on account of my close personal acquaintance with and deep reverence for Mr. Bhatia's resoluteness and righteousness in presenting inspirational thoughts of Dr.Orison so beautifully.

School and College libraries as well as the public libraries in India and abroad must have this volume without fail.

Book's Contents and Sample Pages