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Bookshelf
Welcome to the latest section of Alma Matters “Bookshelf” - a platform where people can share their comments, feelings and thoughts about various books they read. From business and economics to SCI-FI, thriller and comedy…please feel free to contribute to this section by writing to us at alumni_relations@isb.edu
Recommended Readings by Prof. Ruchi Sinha
Ruchi Sinha is an Assistant Professor in the Organizational Behavior area at the Indian School of Business. She teaches the Negotiations Analysis course and the Leadership Development Program to PGP students. Ruchi holds a Masters and a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from Michigan State University. Her research interests include conflict management, perspective taking and trust repair. Her work is published in international academic journals and has been presented at several top conferences in the field.
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, by Milan Kundera
This is an existential novel that explores the artistic and intellectual life of Czech society during the 1960’s. I like almost of all of Milan Kundera’s work – but this one a little more than others. This book is relatively heavy read contrary to what the title suggests. It explores everything from Nietzsche’s philosophical concept of eternal recurrence to the lightness of finding love.
“The Romantics”, by Pankaj Mishra
After reading this book you might feel the desire to go to Varanasi. I think you should! This book explores the longing for self-discovery. It pushes you to question what it means to travel and to seek fulfillment in other cultures.
“Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found”, by Suketu Mehta
It is a book that explores everything beautiful and, everything despicable about the Indian city of Mumbai. It is a good read for those who consider Mumbai their hometown and for those of us who wonder what it is about Mumbai that makes it enthralling. This book is a product of brilliant investigative journalism and is shockingly moving.
Recommended Readings by Rahul Khare, Class of 2012
Rahul Khare is currently with GE in their flagship global leadership program, ECLP. As a B2B marketing professional, he has previously worked with Siemens and ABB, post his degree in electrical engineering from Birla Vishwakarma Mahavidyalaya Engineering College, Vallabh Vidya Nagar. Rahul is an avid blogger (http://spinayarn.blogspot.in) and pursues a host of other interests such as painting, cartooning, creative writing, reading, cooking, dancing and theatre.
“Making Breakthrough Innovation Happen: How 11 Indians Pulled Off The Impossible”, by Porus Munshi
This book covers 11 detailed cases on breakthrough innovations, across different industries and sectors that India has seen in the recent times. These are cases of true innovation and not jugaad. Be it Dainik Bhaskar’s ‘No.1 on the day of launch’ strategy for their newspapers, or Titan’s endeavor to come up with the world’s slimmest watch, that even the Swiss said was impossible to make, the book if full of exciting stories - stories of ideas that have changed the way things were done.
“It’s Not About The Bike: My Journey Back to Life”, by Sally Jenkins, Lance Armstrong
We have only two options, medically and emotionally… GIVE UP OR FIGHT LIKE HELL” says Lance Armstrong, and fight he did, fighting the hell out of the world. There are autobiographies and there are inspirational autobiographies, and then there is Lance’s book. Lance talks about his battle against cancer, and his journey from a cancer survivor to a Tour de France champion. If there was one book that I ever got back to for inspiration, it was this one. It is a story of the victory of spirit and courage like no other, with a difference that it is true and it happened in our lifetime.
“The Dilbert Principle: A Cubicle's-Eye View of Bosses, Meetings, Management Fads & Other Workplace Afflictions”, by Scott Adams
There are two types of people in this world: One who believe that the world of business is rational, and the other who have experienced it. This book is for the latter kind. For Dilbert fans, this book is a bible of workplace wisdom. Yes, it is a cynical view of the business world full of wit, humor and exaggerations, but it’s funny enough to a point where it starts to sound like wisdom! Scott’s take on business which he finds absurd, and teams, and business meetings, and marketing and finance and strategy and what not is that work of wit that will surely bring a smile to you. As a proud collector of Dilbert books and other works of Scott Adams, I have to admit that this is my favorite business book ever.