In Quest Of Excellence,

Taking cognizance of the world scenario, where the moral and ethical values are on a low ebb, the author feels that it is useless to talk of moral valuses which the present generation considers to be an outdated concept. However, Professor Bijli who has been brought up in an atmosphere of justice, fairplay, and respect for values, feels that there is a need to revive those values in order to infuse into the minds of the young the significance of such values. Teh 21st century is witnessing uproar, injustice, and domination by the so-called civilized societies through their muscle and military power on the helpless nations of the third world. These days, materialism is dominating while spiritual values are declining. The author is disappointed on seeing the bleak and gloomy picture, and despite the generation gap, he in a humble way, strides to revive the thinking of some of the great men and women who touched the heights of excellence. The author hopes that the contribution made by these great individuals will inspire the readers in shaping their own personalities. These days, humility is considered a weakness. One should not forget that the Prophets, the Saints, the Sages, and the great men and women of the past were humble people. Benjamin Franklin son of a candle maker, Napoleon Bonaparte belonged to a poverty stricken family, Emerson was so poor that the light flicking through the oil paper seved as a lamp for him to read, since he couldnot afford one mother teresa a fragile nun from Albania became great by serving the poor and unwanted, and Emperor Marcus Aurelius the philosopher king of Rome, who peached contentment all his life, ate simple food and slpt in a hard cot. A strong believer in the God of love, at night he use to set down his thoughts on the sadness of fate and the savagery of war. The author feels that it is high time the younger generation, who are are the future custodian of the nation, reflect on the biography of these great personalities and cherish their values. It is not a blessing to be rich. History records that all those who touched the heights of excellence were poor and humble people.
About Author :
Professor S M Bijli is a senior academician. He had his schooling at the then Travancore state and University education at the Alighar Muslim University, the Hochule Furt Welthander Handel Wessenchaftan, Universitat Wien (School of International Commerce, Vienna University, Austria) and The Institute of Social Studies at the Hague, The Netherlands. He holds a doctorate in International Economic Integration. Professor Bijli served the United Nations Industrial Development Organization at Vienna (Austria) as Chief Technical Advisor (Investment Promotion in Industries) for more than a decade. He was Dean, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, Goa University. He was Reader in International Trade at the Aligarh Muslim University as well. He has the honour of being the student of distinuished professirs of eminence viz. Professor Hand W singer Prof Jan Tinbergen Nobel laureate of the Rotterdam School of Economics, Prof. A M Khusro, Professor Amartya Sen Nobel laureate in Economics Dr. P S Lokanathan etc. A prolific writer, Professor Bijli has a number of books to his credit besides many papers published in professional journals of repute. He has attended many international conferences seminars and has travelled all over the world.
Contents :
Preface Acknowledgements Introduction: Waht excellence implies Benjamin Franklin Empweror Marcus Aurelius Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte Ralph Waldo Emerson Mother Teresa Index