'Word Power to Mind Power', a book on techniques of learning vocabulary in an effective way, was released by deputy chief minister C Damodar Rajanarasimha here on Thursday.
But it is not just any other book written by an academic. Its author is none other than B. Prasada Rao, senior IPS officer and director- general of Anti-Corruption Bureau! The book is different as Rao has penned down his own experience of mastering English vocabulary over a period of 10 years. “Words can become your good friends. I found that no book on vocabulary enrichment was exhaustive enough. So, I started picking up 20 words a day, remembering their meanings and trying to recollect them the next day by relating the sequence of words to a story or an experience in my own life,” recalled the multifaceted Rao.
By his own account, he has learnt at least 10,000 words in 10 years.
“One needs to be determined and self-motivated to practise this regularly. Read literature texts extensively and then you realise that words can become your friends,” he advised.
Prasada Rao was of the opinion that using his technique one could learn any language in the world. “Be it any foreign language, if you learn the meanings and phonetics and then, recollect them by relating them to an interesting story, you can learn any language,” he said.
Damodar Rajanarasimha shared his views on the techniques of learning vocabulary. He revealed that he himself had practised similar techniques in his university days to get a hold of the English language. “Now, I am doing the same to gain command over Telugu! It has given me immense confidence to communicate,” he said.
Congratulating the author, he said, “the message is that talent in any form has to be useful to the society. This book will be extremely useful to students.” Kakatiya Univeristy vice-chancellor B. Venkatratnam, JNTU-Hyderabad vice-chancellor Rameshwar Rao, Osmania University vice-chancellor S. Satyanarayana, JNTU-Kakinada vice-chancellor G. Tulasi Ram Das, Kakinada, AP Police Housing Board chairperson Aruna Bahuguna and APSRTC managing director AK Khan were present.
The book, published by Power Publishers, is available at flipcart.com, crossword. in, uRead.com, Infibeam.com, power-publishers.com at Rs 270.