This is one of the few books that I have selected as gift for friends and loved ones, as this checked the two of gift picks criteria. First one is ease of reading, as not everyone can overcome the inertia posed by dense reading material. And second, impactful wisdom weaved in an interesting narrative that will keep you hooked until the end. The three other books fitting this criteria include Psychology of Money, Elephant Catchers and Eat that Frog.
After I finished reading this book, I underwent a dilemma whether I had previously read this book, though the copy in my shelf lacked creases on the cover. And you might feel the same, as few of the stories narrated in the book are now commonly passed on in the corporate world. The one that I recall vividly is PV Sidhu’s tale of Stroke-less wonder, as I had watched his first hand narrative on YouTube. Despite using many common narratives, the author has successfully created a bigger picture through his perspective that adds purpose and makes the stories flow seamlessly.
The first part of the book is focused on stories meant to motivate. The author seems to have included the stories with an intent to uplift the doomed souls and also serve as folk tale for managers. However, as such tales used out of context can lead to catastrophe decisions, I would recommend approaching the stories with a grain of salt. And most importantly, if you find someone telling you tales, I recommend you to pinch yourself as such tales serve as arsenal of manipulative managers. The stories and narratives are simple and impactful, but just be careful with their application in your life.
The rest of the stories are meant to help you gain wisdom, develop character, and evolve mindset. These impactful tales made me recall various incidents in my life that have helped me either learn or earn. In simple terms, I was able to connect many life incidents with the tales in this book, drawing conclusions in the hindsight. This also helped me bring closure to a few unsettling thoughts and experiences.
Although it helps draw conclusions in hindsight, it may not be as helpful to draw parallels in realtime. Furthermore, the simplicity of narratives omits clarity of contextual factors necessary for decision making in real world situations. Also, it is by no means to belittle the author’s curation efforts or narrative style. It is just the fact that skills required for an autopsy is much different than those for live surgery.
Many of the stories described, though full of wisdom, are simple folk narratives. And having read Subroto Bagchi’s books full of first hand narratives, this was a little disappointing, and I would have felt more connected with the author if Prakash Iyer had shared more of his firsthand experiences. But overall, it is a delightful read with easy reading content woven with simple narratives in a seamless flow. Hence, you should be able to finish it over to-and-fro flights.
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Header Image Photo by Pietro Rampazzo on Unsplash
Savvy Munshi 