Happy Birthday, Abe Lincoln!

It is Lincoln's birthday today and the man who was the first one to be called Mr.President, created dollar and united the states of America was better known for values, integrity and leadership. Here is his most famous letter to his son's teacher, reproduced on his birthday. It is my favorite, like Kipling's "If" poem, never felt bored re-reading it. It can be administered for "girls" too, my girls!




Dear Teacher,



He will have to learn, I know, that all men are not just, all men are not true.



But teach him also that for every scoundrel there is a hero.

That for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader.

Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.

Steer him away from envy, if you can.

Teach him the secret of quiet laughter.



Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to lick.

Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books.

But also give him quiet time to ponder the eternal mystery of birds in the sky,

bees in the sun, and the flowers on a green hillside.



In the school teach him it is far honorable to fail than to cheat.

Teach him to have faith in his own ideas even if everyone tells him they are wrong.

Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.



Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when everyone is getting on the band wagon.

Teach him to listen to all men.

But teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.



Teach him if you can, how to laugh when he is sad.

Teach him there is no shame in tears.

Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.

Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders but never to put a price-tag on his heart and soul.



Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.

Treat him gently, but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.



Let him have the courage to be impatient.

Let him have the patience to be brave.

Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will have sublime faith in mankind.



This is a big order, but see what you can do.

He is such a fine fellow, my son!

"Lincoln" Film Review (English)

"Lincoln" is a moving film about one of the noblest American Presidents in history. Its a film strictly based on the life of Abraham Lincoln but director Steven Spielberg has based it on a riveting book called "The Team of Rivals" which talks about those crucial second-term Presidency years of Lincoln where he had to garner the support of 22-odd Senators to get the crucial "Bill of Emancipation" passed in the Congress. The entire film focuses on this play where the Republicans egged on by President Lincoln use all the tricks of trade to persuade, incentivise, mollycoddle and even coerce some of the rival Senators to accede to the Bill which seeks to abolish slavery.



Daniel Day-Lewis has played the title role of Lincoln remarkably well. He looks the part exceptionally good - his gait, unique beard, unkempt hair, nonchalant looks, brooding shoulders, unsmiling yet sincere facial expressions and disarmingly slow but assertive Chicago accent (which today's President cheaply imitates). Spielberg has got limited screenplay opportunities to telescope the many-faceted personality of Lincoln, so he uses few frames to highlight them and these are inter-mixed with the story from the book above. And so you see some brief but poignant picture frames of Lincoln as a good husband (with a wife who "drove" him till the end), Lincoln as a born-story-teller (he never tries to win an argument with logic; he brings a story with an embedded message that does the trick), Lincoln welcomed his son's distractions at office and doted on them, Lincoln felt for the poor, kept his promises and never lost an opportunity to bring humor. Spielberg shows all these glimpses within the tight script of the story - and those images haunt you even if you haven't read a word about this man. Music by John Williams is apt and under-stated. Steven Spielberg's films have become so inseparable from John Williams' music that you see the duo's output as one unit. Credit must go to John Williams - after Walt Disney, he has got the maximum Oscar nominations - 46 times! (Disney got 52).



The greatness of Spielberg continues in the way the film starts off with Lincoln in the silhouette facing the troops in a Civil War station and the way it finishes with news of his assassination. No flashbacks, no room for over-dramatisation, no bawdy display of Americana just a mesmerising straight narrative with an elegant under-statedness. Starcast has some American greats as rival senators who stood out on screen. Set Design and Costume Design must deserve an award; re-creating a period setting like that before motors and moving images came is tough. What made such a fine film which got 12 Oscar nominations fare poorly at the BO is understandable. It got timed with the US elections, and then there was a more imaginative "Vampire Hunter" movie on Abe which got the wind out of Spielberg's film. A few more shots of the gory Civil War and a few more popular anecodotes about Lincoln might have made the film more dramatic to watch. But Spielberg being Spielberg, he wouldn't compromise on his adherence to an authentic story within a taut script. Hurrah! Anil Ambani's company is the co-producer of this proud film. It deserves 4.5 out of 5 and should be a universal audience film.

All About Abraham Lincoln

February 12 is the birthday of Abraham Lincoln - to my mind, the greatest US President ever. Everytime I faced a moral dilemma, a leadership puzzle, a question of integrity or character, of what can be a wisecrack that is sensible but full of goodwill, of wording phrases that are without malice towards all - it has to be Lincoln. My first tryst with reading started in school reading Lincoln's boyhood days; then my dad asked me to read a biography of Abe by Lord Charnwood, then followed more books about Lincoln by Carl Sandberg, Dale Carnegie etc.


During my early career days, I used to go to the American Research Centre for 8 rows of books on Lincoln - containing his speeches, writings, letters and anecodotes that always stir you. It set me on a lifelong love-affair with an acutely honest President and a man of Mt.Everest character almost of biblical proportions. Folks in this part of the world will make Gandhi the apostle of truth and peace but universally Lincoln inspires all. I agree with Christian Science Monitor's article why President's Day should be celebrated on Abe's birthday and not Washington's birthday. Incidentally, America still publishes tomes and tomes on Lincoln everyday and professionals churn out books giving newer monikers to Lincoln that make him current and impossible man who dealt with so many crises in one lifetime.

Its surprising the President who kept the nation together doesn't have a holiday in his honour - not that he would have minded. What are the five things that I recommend for anybody who wants to know about Llincoln :

1. Lincoln the Unknown - by Dale Carnegie (the best biography secretly written by Dale Carnegie before writing any of the books he became famous for)

2. Lincoln's letter to the School Headmaster about teaching his son (makes you cry in joy and wisdom everytime you read it). I am tempted to reproduce this letter at the end of this post. Read it as intently as you would have read Rudyard Kipling's "If".

3. The Boyhood Days of Lincoln. (If you get it read it for what an inspired boyhood and youth Abe had - a heady mixture of hardwork, persistence and application).

4. Lincoln on Leadership by Donald T Philip. (A colleague of mine who heard of that has made it mandatory reading at GE - where he heads a big division).

5. Any book which captures the witty anecdotes and/or speeches of Lincoln. I think Lincoln has got it after Shakespeare right - the cadence and the beauty, the brevity and the wit. ("A House divided against itself cannot stand").

I always think the generation which grows up on reading about Lincoln anywhere in the world will have an unbeatable advantage over lot of things in life that a generation lost on him. Born this day in 1809, Lincoln is forever. And oh by the way, here is the much-treasured letter which has to be enshrined likewise:



Respected Teacher,



My son will have to learn I know that all men are not just, all men are not true. But teach him also that for ever scoundrel there is a hero; that for every selfish politician, there is a dedicated leader. Teach him that for every enemy there is a friend.



It will take time, I know; but teach him, if you can, that a dollar earned is far more valuable than five found.



Teach him to learn to lose and also to enjoy winning.



Steer him away from envy, if you can.



Teach him the secret of quite laughter. Let him learn early that the bullies are the easiest to tick.



Teach him, if you can, the wonder of books.. but also give him quiet time to ponder over the eternal mystery of birds in the sky, bees in the sun, and flowers on a green hill –side.



In school teach him it is far more honourable to fail than to cheat.



Teach him to have faith in his own ideas, even if every one tells him they are wrong.



Teach him to be gentle with gentle people and tough with the tough.



Try to give my son the strength not to follow the crowd when every one is getting on the bandwagon.



Teach him to listen to all men but teach him also to filter all he hears on a screen of truth and take only the good that comes through.



Teach him, if you can, how to laugh when he is sad. Teach him there is no shame in tears. Teach him to scoff at cynics and to beware of too much sweetness.



Teach him to sell his brawn and brain to the highest bidders; but never to put a price tag on his heart and soul.



Teach him to close his ears to a howling mob… and to stand and fight if he thinks he’s right.



Treat him gently; but do not cuddle him because only the test of fire makes fine steel.



Let him have the courage to be impatient, let him have the patience to be brave. Teach him always to have sublime faith in himself because then he will always have sublime faith in mankind.



This is a big order; but see what you can do. He is such a fine little fellow, my son.