Published by Notion Press, What Am I? An Existential Conundrum by Anusha Krishnaswamy is a philosophy book that takes a riveting stance on ‘Identity search’. For many identity search doesn’t matter, but those who take it seriously will not let the world suppress them. Enthusiasts about this topic will always find this book close to their tenacity and heart.
The book holds overall 22 chapters, covering many topics like dualism, conscience, spirituality, child grooming, thinking pattern, ‘I’ triangle, and much more. Each topic/concept is unique and interesting and certainly contributes to the overall finding about identity. The author has built the tempo of the book gradually by posing questions like where does your true identity lie, how does our past, present and future decide our growth, is our identity totally based on social and external factors, etc.
Anusha insists that identity is a cosmological concept, it’s related to energy packets and karma and GOD (Gate of Destruction and Gate of Dependence).
The highlight in the book are ‘I’ triangle, which is formed due to combination of body, mind, and heart. The ‘I’ derives us and contributes maximum to our identity search. Because of this ‘I’ we form perceived identity, we judge others, and we follow a sort of set parameters. In contrast, the true identity is free from all these perceived aspects and other external factors. It’s more about inner conscience that sets our moral values and decides our role in dualism, which is combination of male and female energy.
The book takes us to new heights of intellectual debate. It also elevates our common logic and thinking and challenges our prejudice that defiles our true identity. Anusha has done a brilliant job by making a nonfiction philosophy book an interesting read. She has deliberately kept the chapters short and eluded them from being banal.
It’s one of those rarest books that can make its readers informed and great in their own lives. Lucid writing with powerful theories and assumptions, this book is going to stay here for philosophy lovers.
About the Author:
By profession, Anusha is a dentist, but by choice an artist and writer. She has always been curious about nature and human instincts. What Am I?: An Existential Conundrum is her first book. Other than writing, she also indulges herself into arts like painting and photography. Currently, she is working on her next book.
Her art and photography work can be found at the below websites:
https://www.artmajeur.com/en/anushakrishnaswamy/artworks/galleries