Why Should Everyone Read "The Story of My Experiments With Truth" by Mahatma Gandhi?

Why Should Everyone Read "The Story of My Experiments With Truth" by Mahatma Gandhi?

The following was a part of an email conversation I had with Akshay.

Reading the book being mentioned in about section, he asked:

Also, why should everyone read the autobiography of Gandhi?

This was probably the second time when I pondered upon the significance of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography The Story of My Experiments With Truth in my life. (First was on the creation of blog’s about section.)

I replied (slightly corrected for clarity):

[…] I see you were engaged in My experiment with truth back then, apparently I too came across the book in 7th or 8th standard.

I wasn’t someone who admired MK Gandhi before that. Furthermore, I just read it because I was just getting in the habit of reading and this was one book I wanted to “just” read, but it was different, it showed how to experiment. I have learned how monotonous life is, and how we can radically change it with experimentation. So I started fasting once every week on Wednesdays, not to lose weight but to build will power (which I believe I lacked). Still continuing with that after like 8-9 years. Taking back control is what it taught me.

Then there was the way how passive resistance and perseverance helps get things done (which can only be undertaken by having a strong will for a cause). Being stubborn sometimes does help ;)

Overall, it changed my life approach and now that I’m thinking, I do consider it kind of sacred (or closest to one).