ICEBERG, IT IS SAID 9/10TH OF THE ICE IS BENEATH THE WATER, ONLY 1/10TH IS REVEALED ON THE SURFACE. I MAY BE WRONG AS MY MATHS IS NOT VERY STRONG; MATHS NEEDS INTELLIGENCE, WHICH IS WHAT I LACK IN. THAT MUCH PORTION OF MY BRAIN WAS VACANT, NATURALLY; SO THAT PLACE I OFFERED TO MY HEART AS AN EXTRA F.S.I. FOR ME, POETRY ALWAYS IS EXCLUSIVE AND IMPORTANT THAN MATHS, THAT IS WHY I COULD MEET MANY PEOPLE. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE WERE THE VARIOUS FORMS OF HAPPINESS AND VIBRANCY, SO I NEVER COUNTED THE STANZAS OF MY POETRY. AFTER ALL, COUNTING INVOLVES MATHS AND I PREFER TO BE MILES AWAY FROM IT. IF WE DO NOT MEASURE POETRY THEN WE COME ACROSS A "SHRIKANT`, MOVING IN THE WHIRLPOOL, TURNING IT UPSIDE DOWN. SHRIKANT CHANGED THE DIRECTION OF THE ICEBERG. HE TURNED IT UPSIDE DOWN. HE WRAPPED THE 9/10TH OF THE ICEBERG IN HAPPINESS WHICH WAS OTHERWISE FULL OF CALAMITIES AND MENTAL TENSIONS. HIS WIFE WRAPPED THE COLD ICE INTO THE WARMTH OF HER AFFECTION. WHAT ARE HIS WHEREABOUTS? SHRIKANT JOSHI, CHAWDAR TALE, MAHAD; I DEDICATE THIS BOOK `MAANASE` TO THE HUMAN IN HIM.
व. पु. काळे `माणूस`प्रेमी लेखक. त्यांनी गणितापेक्षा कवितेत अधिक जवळचे मानले त्यामुळे. विविध माणसेही त्यांच्या अधिक जवळ गेलीत ते अधिक. माणसांच्या जवळ गेले त्यामुळे माणसांचे एक चैतन्यदायी विलोभनीय कारंजेच त्यांना पहायला मिळाले. त्यातूनच त्यांच्या अनेक कथांचा लाभ झाला कथाकथनाचे कार्यक्रम रंगले. ह्या पुस्तकातील `माणसं` म्हणजे त्या त्या माणसांच्या पूर्ण कथा नसल्या तरी ही माणसे उलगडतीलच असे हे तुकडे आहेत. ह्यात वपुंनी ऐकलेल्या-वाचलेल्या पासून त्यांनी अनुभवलेल्या, मनीमानसी नोंदवलेल्या पर्यंतच्या अशा अनेक घटना आहेत की ज्याने वाचकाला वाचनानंदाबरोबरच आणखीही काही मिळाले. हे सारे बहिणाबाई अभिप्रेत "माणसा माणसा कधी व्हशीन माणूस" साठीच आहे.