how to appear well read

Any homosapien(I do not want to use the word man or person,lest I be accused of being a MCP),dealing with the subject of management has to be like a journalist or lawyer, a know-all chap in the society, brimming with information, knowledge etc., on all aspects of life. Naturally, such a chap cannot and should not be seen in the society without having not read the latest fiction and or nonfiction books doing rounds at any point of time in the market . The fellow has to pretend ,if necessary, wellread to meet the society’s needs.
“Joshi Puranam” contains pearls of wisdom as to how bookish knowledge can be acquired without reading books. (Never heard of this 19th Purana of our ancient texts? Well, you have to get training from the Kintergarten level itself to look wellread.)
According to this Purana espoused by the great Joshi of yesteryears,the first and foremost principle to be followed is never to have a guilt feeling of having missed out on books. No one is obliged to read books,but what is required is to talk and argue about these in any assembly or seminar without glancing through or opening the pages Even a slight familiarity with books and authors is enough to put on a show of enlightenment.Further,
by going through book covers,reviews and gossip columns on authors,one can get adequately equipped to participate in any literary discussion.
For example, after reading about the controversy on Da Vinci Code, one would get an idea of what the book is about
A dramatic presentation, throwing in some quotations which you would have accidentally picked up in your school days (and continued to remember) would help a lot in the demonstration of your knowledge.To illustrate , quoting Thomas Gray’s famous lines ,“the paths of glory lead but to the grave”, you can outwit your literary critics and get your reputation etched in their memory as a scholar on classics.Or for that matter, you can appear as an authority on Shakespeare, by looking pensive and walking around with hands held behind your back muttering the lines “To be or not to be”Afterall, it is impossible to read the hundreds of books being churned out in the market every week,with each book containing not less than 500-1000 pages. .
Frequently, when ,you as an authority, are called upon for literary exchanges on such books (mostly with those who have also not read those books), if you know the basic principles eschewed in the Purana, you would be the winner to claim the well read people award!
Of course, there are books like ‘Oxford Companion to English Lierature’ to help you to show acquaintance with some of the past works.However, if you want to appear well read,take part in literary proceedings and pepper your conversations with quotes, and not to get the feeling of dismay among those who appear familiar with all the latest books,an understanding of the Purana is the answer.
Unfortunately, like our ancestral texts, this Purana is also not available in a printed version.But do not lose heart.Prof.Pierre Bayard, Literature Professor at Paris University has come out with a unique best seller-‘How to talk about books which you have not read.”The book is making waves all over Europe and getting translated into dozens of languages. I recommend this book to be read by all who want to appear wellread.Sorry, you cannot get this book from me on loan for the simple reason that I am an ardent follower of Joshi Purana and hence do not waste time to buy and read.books!