Gandhi's Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution - A Book Review.......

Hello again,

Remember the post "A good book can make you feel fab too". This is the second post of this series. I am linking below the previous two posts of this book reviews series.

http://alessiapearl.blogspot.com/2011/01/good-book-can-make-you-feel-fab-too.html
http://alessiapearl.blogspot.com/2011/01/book-reviewinfinite-impact-by-stu-weber.html

 

The author of this book is Mark Juergensmeyer. Gandhi's Way is about conflicts and how to resolve them in a positive and constructive manner. It explains the principles of satyagraha which is a term coined by Gandhi to refer to a process of finding a truthful resolution which satisfies all the opponents in a conflict. Although, the book is a bit theoretical and ideological and it uses specific terms which refer to the principles of conflict resolution according to Ghandi, is still comprehensible especially thanks to the use of very simple examples like domestic fights.



Gandhi's Way: A Handbook of Conflict Resolution, Updated with a New Preface and New Case Study

The book is very interesting as it makes you reflect on conflicts anf fighting in general. These are normally considered negative episodes of everyday life. However, when you start thinking about it fighting is not that negative after all, because it is a necessary process aimed at undestanding problems and finding a solution to them. Therefore fighting per se is not negative if it ensures the respect of the parties involved. In fact fights can help people understand better themselves and the opponents, and engage in processes aimed at improving the present situation. It is therefore the way in which conflicts are approached which can be negative.

According to Gandhi avoiding fights is symptom of cowardice. Fights must not be avoided but approached with the right spirit which according to this Indian ideological historical character involves taking into consideration each others' points of view and working together to find a common ground. However, this is not always possible because your opponent might want to ignore the problem or might not want to compromised his stand. The book offers advice on how to act in this situations.

Because Gandhi was not perfect and neither were his actions, at the end of the book he receives various critics on both his theories and behaviour. His hypothetical critics are Karl Marx, Freud and Niebuhr.

I really suggest this book to anyone who is interested in broadening her/his general culture and knowledge as well as to those currently studying or researching either Ghandi or conflict resolution. This book could be a very interesting starting point for a dissertation too. Even if you prefer reading novels, thrillers or other more lighter books I still encourage to engage into more important readings every now and then.

STAY FAB through your books too,
AlessiaPearl.