I have been a casual reader of Rajesh Setty's blog for some time now. However when I watched his video interview prior to the launch of his new book 'Upbeat: Cultivating the Right Attitude to Thrive in Tough Times' I found his message very compelling, and wanted to help spread the word. As an incorrigible optimist myself, I am drawn to such stories - such as last weekend's chance encounter with an entrepreneur I met at a common friend's home - he survived leukemia against seemingly insurmountable odds with timely treatment and a heavy dose of optimism. In the hour I spent with the gentleman, I did not hear him speak a single negative word about anyone or anything that served as topics of our conversation. There was a lesson to be learned right there, on staying upbeat.Rajesh Setty's new book 'Upbeat: Cultivating the Right Attitude to Thrive in Tough Times' has a similar powerful message, told in a practical manner. A message for everyone, everywhere. Which is why I believe it deserves recognition by being on Oprah's Book Club.
Whether you are a marketing professional, a business leader, an entrepreneur, a student, a job seeker, or just anyone seeking personal or professional growth (or just survival), this book offers a very practical angle to navigating tough economic times. That explains this worthwhile detour from the theme of my blog - to introduce a powerful little book with a powerful, timely and timeless message.
We at iTradeFair.com have done a virtual book launch before, so when the opportunity to take part in a virtual blog tour as part of this upbeat book launch presented itself, I volunteered to be a part of it to help spread the valuable message in the book. Unbeknownst to author Rajesh Setty, I began promoting his message by forwarding his blog post with his videos to people I know and care about, but I like this concept of a formal blog tour for the book launch. I have since, had the good fortune of connecting with the author (see bio), so without further ado, here below is an interview with the author himself for your reading pleasure.
1. What inspired you to write this book, and publish it?
The book was written when I was building my startup during the previous recession. Although a small book, it was compiled and written over four or five years. By the time i completed the book, that recession was over. So the book was kept aside for a while. At the onset of this current recession, I decided to revisit and update the book and publish it.
2. Who will this book benefit? Do you think it will appeal to a wider audience such as that of Oprah’s Book Club?
The book is aimed at a broad audience. Being Upbeat alone won't take someone anywhere but it is a pre-requisite for other actions - so being Upbeat is like an entry ticket to go somewhere. On the other hand, not being Upbeat is a sure-fire way of going nowhere.
It would be a dream come true to imagine being in the Oprah's Book Club :)
3. Can this book be useful to management students, and should it be a part of their coursework?
The book is short and has one main message - Stay Upbeat and win!
Yes, this will be relevant to students of any kind (including management students) but it won't fit into a coursework format.
4. Would this book have appeal to readers in other countries? Are you considering translations?
The message is applicable to people in any and all countries. There are discussions about translations now but they are at a very early stage. We hope to close some of these deals in the next few months.
5. Why is this book timeless, but especially relevant now?
Staying Upbeat is a requirement to get ahead whether it is tough times or not. It is difficult to "stay Upbeat" during tough times. The book covers a few things that you can do to make that happen. So if you can "stay Upbeat" now, you could do that more easily when the times are good.
The ideas in the book are applicable for all times but are most needed NOW. Hence it is relevant now.
Thank you Rajesh!
Oh - and for the readers - don't forget to tell Oprah about it :-)
