BRAToSPHERE

Category: Books

  • The Power of Habit – Book Review

    Quite some time back I was mentioned this book. I just shrugged it off as another self-help book – a category I completely despise.

    Recently after updating the OS on my IPad, I was checking my e books inventory and located this book. I started reading the first few pages and it caught my complete attention. It seemed an interesting book and one page led to another, finishing the book.

    A complicated subject like Habits and why we do what we do, is explained in a simple, elegant, easy to understand manner. Making the whole book full of anecodetes makes the reading more enjoyable. It seems less like a heavy psychological book (which it is not) and more like a good non-fiction read.

    Human habits seem uncontrollable and unexplained and we assume that they exist to remain permanently fixed in our brains. “They are so strong, in fact, that they cause our brains to cling to them at the exclusion of all else, including common sense,” the author wirtes. But it turns out our habits are quite malleable, and as the author shows, companies are getting ever more adept at identifying, co-opting, and shaping our behavior patterns to increase profits.

    The Cue (instigator of an action), then the routine (the action itself) followed by the reward (gratification resulting from the action) is the habit loop that is mentioned throughout the book elucidated with live examples.

    Companies leveraging on this habit loop and successfully managing to create a dent on this emerge out successful.

    Charles Duhigg writes a book on a complicated subject in a pretty lucid manner taking it to the larger public and turning it into a bestseller.

    Overall, “The Power of Habit” is an enjoyable book, and one can find useful advice on how to go about changing at least some of our habits.

  • Arranged Love – Book Review

    After reading a lot of heavy books of late, “Arranged Love” by Parul Mittal caught my eye at the Mumbai airport. Browsing through it generated some interest and the price point just demanded an impulse purchase from me.

    Was it worth it? Read on.

    Arranged love is a very common concept in India where arranged marriages thrive and everything from the shaadi ka mandap, baraaat, khana, peena and rona dhona can be arranged, including love.

    The plot? Well, it is one more in the chic lit series without much of a plot and which more looks like an autobiographical account of the author.

    Actually, I think, the genesis of all such books is aspirational. Every individual has this dream version of his/ her own life and because that is not happening in the real world, a book is written on the same. Obviously the usual masala of sex, love and some rona dhona is added to make it saleable or rather publish worthy. Penguin ain’t picking you otherwise.

    Coming back to the book, it is about a female protagonist who is studying in the US and dating an American. She comes back to India due to the recession where the whole drama part starts. Her Dad wants to set her up and her mom wants her to settle down – both want her to get married to the IIT boy they have selected. Lot of happenings, office romance, Drunken stupors later we come to an end of the story. What happens in the end is anyone’s guess, but well I would not want to spoil the suspense.

    One thing that I loved about the book is the characterization of each of the characters which has been etched in detail that you feel that you start relating to them.

    Different frustu characters in the office and the male protagonist being shown as a superstud, the elderly sister who has complete clarity in life and the completely opposite cousin who wants to experiment with everything sex on it. At the end of the book you feel you have known them all for sometime now.

    The whole treatment of the plot with Hinglish slang again makes you feel completely at Home

    The video ad for the book : http://youtu.be/yyFv3ddiB1o

    Would I recommend this book? Well, if you fly frequently and hate sleeping during the flight, this book can make for good company.

    By the way is the next book called “Love Arranged!”. Would make for an interesting read.

  • Who let the dork out – Book Review

    After reading Sidin’s first two books, and following his blog for a long time, reading this book was an obvious for me.

    I had pre-ordered this one online, and was waiting eagerly to grab my hands on it.

    The book 1 in this trilogy (are there more Sidin?) sets the pace and the characters beautifully. It marked dork’s arrival in the literary world.

    Book 2 was slightly annoying with predictable plot and gibberish characters.

    Book 3 continues the same tone of book 1 and 2 in a different setting – the Common Wealth games..Er! The Allied games!

    Who let the dork out?Book 3 is a hilarious satirical take on the mess that was the Games in Delhi in 2010. The story is fast paced, structured and revolves around one thing right from page 1 : the allied games in Delhi where the lead character, Robin’s company is helping out the government.

    The subtle and powerful satire to the events in the book makes the book stand out. Most of the incidents would make you think about an actual happening that you must have read in the newspapers and especially the political characters immediately take your mind to an actual public personality.

    The description of the politician who is desperate to get into Tihar jail for advancement of his career ( as that is where he would be able to network with the who’s who of politics and Business) stands out. The description of the Tihar jail party, the innovatively named food items (Anticipatory Bhel, Quattarocheese pizza) in the jail canteen and the vivid description of the entrance to the Jail is one other instance where you actually feel – Maybe this is really true!

    Overall, the book is an easy read, and it never loses focus on the central issue at Hand – The Allied games.
    A special mention to the innovative narrative used by Sidin right from book 1 – Diary entries. This makes the flow chronological, and at places where suspense and curiosity needs to be built, there is a mention of a particular happening and the details are spelt out later.

    An easy read.

  • Inside Coca-Cola – Book Review

    Autobiographies have been my favorite genre for a long time. More so if the story is more of a general recount of happenings during a particular stint rather than a history of the entire life of an individual.

    PhotobucketInside Coca-Cola: A CEO’s life story of building the world’s most popular brand, By Neville Isdell perfectly fits the bill for this. Neville Isdell was a key player at Coca-Cola for more than 30 years, retiring in 2009 as CEO after rejuvenating the tarnished image of the world’s most popular brand – Coca-Cola.

    The book details and extraordinary personal and professional story crisscrossing from South Africa to Australia, and From Philippines to Atlanta. Neville managed to put out huge public relations fires, opened up new markets, groomed his successor and all this while furthering the cause of corporate social responsibility.

    From the start I remained glued to completing the book, and some stories stand out.

    The story of Coke’s return to India in 1993 and the eventual backlash from the consumers in accusation of killing Thums Up gives a good perspective of the real happenings.

    Also the story of Coca Cola turnaround in Philippines is truly inspiring. It goes on showing how understanding the local emotion and culture helped the company take over its competitor (Imitator as it is mentioned in the book), and how hiring a local person saved the company huge cultural mistakes. This gives a good insight to the strategies in play within huge companies.

    The book also dwells good light on Neville’s personal life. Neville sure belonged to that rare breed of people who knows how to work his way through no matter what comes in the way.

    This book is not about branding or marketing strategies of the brand, but a memoir of the strategies used under different situations the author has been. This book would help open your mind to what the world has to offer if you are game for it.

    The book, in my opinion, is more enjoyable reading it keeping Coca Cola as a company as its main lead rather than Neville.

    As a last note, the book surely leaves you with a lot of working tactics in the business atmosphere, but could have been stitched in a better manner.

    Again, a sure read.

  • The Bankster – Book Review

    There are many reasons we pick up a particular book. Reasons ranging from nice cover, to good reviews, we have all been there done that.

    One of the most pivotal reasons buying the book is – the author.

    After having read Ravi Subramanian’s all previous book, I was eagerly waiting for this one, and I was not disappointed.

    Like someone said, John Grisham is for legal, Robin cook is for medicine and Ravi is for banking. After consistently doling out blockbusters over blockbusters, Ravi truly deserves the accolade.

    The story of the book is like a jig saw puzzle taking you places. Four parallel stories running and you know there is a link but are just not able to figure out.

    The BanksterHow could possibly killing an elephant in some small village in Kerala be linked to a global scam in a multinational bank? This and many other thoughts keep hounding your brain till the very end of the book when everything starts making sense.

    The character, Karan Panjabi, which has been introduced in Ravi’s previous books, again makes an entry as the main lead. He is a banker turned journalist and this time he is in it for personal reasons.

    The story revolves around continuous murders that occur in the bank, and Karan Panjabi steps in to investigate. Little does he realize that this is much bigger than anybody could think?

    Ranging from the Kerala protests against the nuclear plant to international conspiracies, everything is beautifully linked in this maze of money.

    From Angola where a CIA agent gets diamonds in exchange of supplying arms to rebels and getting paid in diamonds, in exchange to Kerala where an elderly man is leading a protest against the nuclear plant. From the head office of the Greater Boston global bank in Mumbai to Vienna where an employee of the bank is holidaying, Ravi manages an interesting ride.

    A slight drawback of the book is the overuse of Hindi, which was sure added to bring in nativeness and authencity in the feel, but loses the readability in the process. Also, the character building could have been worked upon a little more (to an already hefty book!) to relate better.

    Overall, I would go with a 7.5/10 for the book.