Thirty-Nine Steps to Happiness (Paperback - 2007)

Present-day life is full of fear, anxiety, disappointment, frustration and insecurity. Unending competition, from kindergarten to retirement, from the workplace to the bedroom, is killing. Today, man is under constant pressure to achieve and to acquire. While parents wish their children to come out miraculously outstanding like Superman, the bosses are pushing their staff to exceed corporate targets even at the cost of their health and family. To achieve this one needs to work for long hours. Possessions today have become a source of our pride, social status and the cause of envy of our neighbours. For this, man today can go to any extent, be it pushing wives into the arms of bosses in the hope of promotions or adopting illegal and even criminal means. Pre-marital sex and post-marital infidelity are in fashion. Job security is lacking. In brief, stress has percolated to all strata of modern society.

We are left with two options: Either enjoy fruits of success and suffer the trauma of failure or dare to be different and seek happiness. The choice is ours!

Undoubtedly, happiness does not mean total absence of anger, pain, sorrow, loss or disappointment; there will be moments of pain and anxiety. But scars will heal with time. Our endeavour should be to heal the wounds at the earliest possible. We ourselves are the most important source of happiness and unhappiness. It is our attitude and our actions that largely contribute to our state of life. Where the causes of happiness cannot be cured, we must endure. The need is to change the attitude and act positively and remain undisturbed by unfavourable events and situations. This is what the present book aims at conveying to all its readers. The thirty-nine steps suggested in this book pertain to the process by which we can change our attitude and act to ensure our happiness.

This book is for anyone who wishes to combat stress and lead a happy and enjoyable life.

Col. Bhaskar Sarkar, VSM (Retd.), is a civil engineering and management consultant. Academically, he is a graduate in Civil Engineering from Calcutta University. He obtained his postgraduation degree in Military Science from Defense Services Staff College, Wellington. He also did postgraduation in Management from College of Defense Management, Secundrabad. He served in the Indian Army for 28 years and retired as a full colonel in 1991.

Col. Sarkar has been a prolific writer for over forty years. He has a large number of articles and short-stories published in journals and newspapers of repute which reflect his wide range of scholarship. His published books include: Pakistan Seeks Revenge and God Saves India, Tackling Insurgency and Terrorism, Kargil War: Past, Present and Future and Outstanding Victories of the Indian Army.