Success and Failure based on Reason and Reality[1] is a 2018 book by Hamis Kiggundu that dispenses financial[2] advice through a collection of 16 Chapters talking the issues of success and money[3] (how to make money), risks and challenges of making money, building meaningful relationships with people, how to become rich and wealthy, poverty and failure, the road to success, education and success, employment and success, the law and success and other pertinent issues. The book is distributed worldwide in print and e-book formats, at different online[4] and physical outlets.
In the book, Hamis argues that many [5]Ugandans are poor because they envy the rich and majority of them are saving but not investing because they fear risks.[6]
He highlights the fear of investing as a stumbling block to wealth.
Hamis claimed to have been approached by many of his friends from time to time asking how he managed to be successful at an early age of just 34 years then.
“This is a question I can answer in a simple statement. That is one of the reasons as to why I decided to sit down and write this book,” he said. “I have also written this book to jump-start the reader’s mind in the direction of reason, he added during the launch of his book at his Company head offices in Kampala on July 23 2018.
Hamis gave detailed exclusive reasons for writing his book on pages: 8 and 9 as directly extracted bellow:
[8]“I am purely a businessman and I don’t write books. However, in life, we do what we do mainly because of the prevailing circumstances. Many friends have approached me several times and asked me how I managed to get where I am today. That’s not a question I can answer in a few statements and there was no way I could provide an explanation to whoever out there that could be asking a similar question so I decided to write this book and provide a detailed answer to that question.
Secondly, though successful, majority of the people in my country are still struggling and poor which hurts. Such a big problem needs collective effort to change the dynamics and direction of our society. It is my personal opinion that failure or success starts in the mind, thus I thought by using my experience I would write my opinion on what I think one should do to change their mindset and think progressively in life, thus the reason for writing this book[2].
Thirdly, I am too realistic and reasonable that I know that information is only good when put to use so I decided to share my personal opinion on what I feel might be useful to others.
NOTE: I handwrote this book in just six days without doing any research at all because it is my intention to pass on my unbiased personal opinion to the readers from a realistic and reasonable perspective on the way I see and interpret issues which has enabled me to get where I am today. Also, to give my personal opinion on what I think one should do to become successful in life.[9]
I know most Ugandans are not good book readers but I kindly request and hope that every Ugandan finds some time to read this book. It is fully independently composed from my own personal opinion, realistic and reasonable experience. I have experience mainly locally as an ordinary Ugandan and I am aware of the challenges we face in our day-to-day lives as Ugandans. My personal opinion on how I think we can overcome these challenges comes from my experience and knowledge I have acquired through the years.
I totally believe that the solutions to our problems should always come from us and not from outsiders. I have written this book not only from my local experience but also from my international business experience from the most developed countries like the Unites States of America and the United Kingdom. I have come to the conclusion that I should direct all my energy, channel my entire focus and share my knowledge towards the development of my country.
We all have to die one day and we are never certain on exactly when so we just have to do all we can when we are still alive so that we leave behind positive stories that will be told by generations to come. That is why I wrote this book, personally edited it to the extent of my reasoning, personally published it at my cost and I don’t expect any financial gain from it. My only satisfaction will be its ability to positively change people’s lives. And may be if (Inn shaa Allah) with God’s will, it can have great contribution to the development of individualUgandans and my country at large.”
“It is merely a personal opinion which may be a fact or not depending on your interpretation, how you look at things and your reasoning capacity”, reads part of the book.[10]
The book was reviewed and evaluated by the Uganda Ministry of Education and Sports[15] through National Curriculum development Center[16] after they found it very relevant to be adopted in Uganda’s curriculum[17] and recommended it for use at Secondary School level[18] and Higher Institutions of learning[19] to inspire Ugandan students into investing.[20]
CONTENT
The 16-chapter book also highlights the country’s education system as another factor that has barred majority of Ugandans, especially fresh graduates, from becoming rich.[21]
“The outdated education the country is offering our students is useless to the extent [that] it is inconsistent with the prevailing challenge With the outdatededucation, you cannot expect our children to become [the] bright future of the nation. It is like sending a soldier to war with gun without bullets,” he said at the launch of the book.[22]
Hamis also explains the sources of his money since he has been attacked by the public several times, with claims that powerful people in government have a hand in his success[23].
Upon its Launch, thousands of copies of Success and Failure based on Reason and Reality were donated[24] in Libraries[25] of all Universities[26],[27] most Secondary Schools, vocational[28] and tertiary institutes[29] and All Public[30] and municipal Libraries[31] allover Uganda in the first 2 months. Hamis wanted Ugandanscholars to get free access of his knowledge and jump-start their mindset right from the grassroots on how to save and invest as reasoning out real-life realities prior to graduation and becoming stake holders in the real particle world since he never wrote it for financial gains[32].
The book also joined: Aristoc Booklex[33], Uganda Bookshop[34]and other leading book sellers’ best seller list in its Four month of publication making it have the Book of the Year 2018 award[12].
Hamis With BookHamis Showing his Book during Launch at his office in 2018
Book translation
[35]Since he wrote this book to help his fellow Ugandans, Hamis decided that his book also be printed and distributed in a local language which is widely spoken across the country to take the message to a larger audience[36], he translated this book from English to Luganda in May 2019[37]. Luganda[38] is the widely used native language in Uganda and abroad by the Ugandans living in the diaspora[39].
[41]In the concluding remarks, Hamis noted that “Man is successfully born with nothing but life. In life, we all desire to have a good life and to become successful men and women. Unless one is born in success like kings, queens, princes and princesses, for most of us this journey comes with a lot of challenges and hardships. However, from my personal opinion which is a realistic and reasonable point of view, success starts with you as a person and requires you to have reasonable thinking capacity, a plan and strategy, personal responsibility, focus and vision, consistence and patience, good listening skills, choice of good company, ability to take risks in life, forgiving and forgetting, courage and determination in all you do, a good supportive family, a socially, politically, economically well-organized society with the right prevailing conditions to enable one succeed in life. Lastly, we need GOD’S BLESSINGS in all that we do. Success never comes cheaply even the holy Quran says,“Man shall feed off his sweat.”[42]
^Times, Uganda (2018-07-24). "Hamis Kiggundu publishes a book on Success & Failure". The Uganda Times - Uganda News, Uganda Updates, Breaking News, World News, Business, Travel, About Uganda | Home. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
^Times, Uganda (2018-07-24). "Hamis Kiggundu publishes a book on Success & Failure". The Uganda Times - Uganda News, Uganda Updates, Breaking News, World News, Business, Travel, About Uganda | Home. Retrieved 2020-06-24.
