Black hole on superstardom

THE SUPERSTAR SYNDROME
The Making of a Champion
Myra S White and Sanjay Jha
Random House India
298 pages; Rs 399

Readers beware. The self-help/motivation business book genre is back to haunt you in the form of The Superstar Syndrome. Before talking about the specifics of this book, let us examine the formula for the average business book these days. Choose some recurring themes in management literature, such as "understanding the CEO", "how to be a good negotiator", "how to build self-confidence", and so on. Now choose a set of celebrities from business, politics and entertainment to substantiate your theme. Since there is enough information out there about these public figures already, all you need to do is get a little extra information that is not yet public knowledge. The recipe for your so-called nouveau theory is complete.

Authors Myra S White and Sanjay Jha have followed the aforementioned formula diligently. In the preface, the authors promise to deliver "a template to follow in developing your [that is, mainly Indian professionals'] career". The book is based on a study of how 60 ordinary people attained stardom. The authors have divided the book into nine chapters, each explaining one step that superstars take to reach the top. Even this would have worked had the authors not committed the cardinal sin of attributing success to a procedure, an approach adopted by a majority of authors - especially those who write business books. None of them seems to question whether it is really possible to become a superstar by following a few steps. If one looks beyond the stock explanations of talent and hard work, has luck got no role to play in success?

To catch readers' attention, the book begins with the example of pop icon Lady Gaga - how she struggled before tasting success. As it turns out, this is just a fleeting mention. Isn't it a pity that stories about a familiar set of celebrities - Warren Buffett, Oprah Winfrey, Jack Welch, Sam Walton, Sachin Tendulkar, Bill Gates, Richard Branson, N R Narayana Murthy - continue to be retrofitted by authors in case studies on leadership, motivation and self-discipline, among other topics? So most of the pages of this book are taken up by well-worn examples of how these celebrities dealt with different situations in their careers. Surely it is time to look for some new heroes?

Now sample some of the topics covered under different chapters: "Believe in your mission", "Focus on what you want to achieve", "Be flexible", "Learn to fail" and "Seek feedback". Anything new there? Open any similar self-help business book published in the last 10 years and these topics will be in evidence. Nor have the authors attempted any novel approach to revive the average reader's or management students' interest in these done-to-death issues. Don't be surprised if you come across a paragraph on breathing exercises.

Moreover, the storytelling experiment, wherein each chapter starts with a small piece from L Frank Baum's children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, adds to the frustration of the reader, who is already struggling to finish the book. The authors set the stage every time by explaining how Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Wicked Witch of the West reacted differently in different situations. Using characters from mythology and history as a perfect hook has become a trend for many authors of management books, but it certainly boomerangs in this case.

That said, the book is readable in parts. In the chapter "Know where you are going", the authors explain that the key to capitalising on the power of challenges is to break one's mission into short-term challenges that are at the right level of difficulty at an individual's present skill level. In one of the following chapters, the authors lucidly explain the role of effort, expertise and attractiveness at every stage of one's career. Thanks to Ms White's background in psychology, the book offers interesting lessons on "anger management" and "ways to avoid toxic personalities". One of the chapters discusses how an individual can get in touch with her best part by learning how to operate at optimal anxiety levels.

After subjecting the reader to sleep-inducing content, the authors conclude the book with a chapter titled "Know how to have fun". In this chapter, they explain that becoming a superstar goes hand in hand with having fun.

If you are looking for answers to the question of what makes a champion, don't pick up this book. None of the 17 testimonials lends credibility to the age-old subject matter of the book. If you are a pretentious book connoisseur, this one can add lustre to your bookshelf - the bright red jacket cover has a huge golden star.