The books that shaped my life

Pather Panchali, Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay
This book has stayed with me ever since school. It’s about the life, dreams and aspirations of a village boy in Bengal and it helps me relive my childhood through him. The transformation of incidents from micro to macro makes for great literature and the book remains special because of its ability to universalise the issues.

Overload, Arthur Hailey
I read this in college and it helped me understand the bottlenecks that developmental projects face the world over. It explains how the different interest groups try to maximise their own benefits with complete disregard to society. One can link the story of setting up a power plant in the United States to numerous projects in India.

Moneychangers, Arthur Hailey
An excellent analysis of the banking and financial services industry, Moneychangers was written 30 years ago but remains relevant even today. Confidence and theability of tackling issues head-on are important in handling any crisis. The story of how a run on the bank was averted by mere courage and will power taught me a great lesson.

Tintin Series, Herge
Wit, intelligence and willingness to overcome any odds are the qualities that make Tintin, the young reporter, stand out. It taught me that if you put your mind to it anything is possible.

Around the World in 80 Days, Jules Verne The book is awe-inspiring and has influenced generations. The challenges and the ingenuity, with which he overcomes the odds, inspire me even today.

— As told to Anumeha Chaturvedi

 

'The Metrosexual Guide to Style' This book was a bestseller in the early 2000s, back when David Beckham was wearing sarongs and Sex and the City was described by otherwise sane adults as “hilarious”. While London and New York may be jaded on the subject, Mumbai and Delhi are just starting their “metro” journeys. Hence all these lifestyle articles about matching your shoes to your belt and your Chardonnay to your cufflinks or whatever. We at MORE are in the metrosexual business, if you like—there’s nothing wrong with looking and feeling your best and enjoying the finer things. And this book is actually a handy primer—it may be a bit cookie-cutter, but the advice is generally sound. What’s wrong with it is the word “metrosexual”, which sounds like a group of gay men on a train. And the myth on which this book is built, that there are only two kinds of men—the savage Australopithecus banging together lumps of flint, and the insufferable dandy in a velvet jacket who listens to opera all day. This idea that metrosexuality turns us from cavemen into Cary Grant is nonsense. Cary Grant wasn’t a metrosexual, he was a gentleman—classy and well groomed, who knew very well that women don’t go for guys with grubby fingernails. — Sanjiv Bhattacharya