Big Billion Startup : The Untold Flipkart Story

                         

                         

Big Billion Startup: The Untold Flipkart Story by Mihir Dalal a business journalist has amazingly covered India's startup scenario. His depth in the Flipkart story and his interesting writing style has made him win many accolades. This book which is soon to be a major motion picture is a must on every Indian household bookshelf. 

In the era of unicorns, startups, and entrepreneurship, every other Indian is binge-watching Shark Tark India. Flipkart is one such famous Ecommerce started by two daring Indian software engineers when e-commerce and startups were distantly unheard of. Creating internet e-commerce after the dot-com bubble in a country like India, when most Indians had little to no access to the Internet, was not only considered a risk. But a grave stupidity scuffed by many VCs, investors & friends of the founders. Flipkart's journey, starting from when people would struggle to pronounce Flip- what? In its acquisition battle by Amazon, Walmart to get a strong foothold in the enormous Indian Ecommerce and glaring headlines is a journey- of - kind. 

This book is a tale of intellectualism, egos & mishappening. It will give all the retrospect of what right can happen to make a company a big billion startup and what wrongs for a forceful exit of its founders.   

The Ride Of A LifeTime By Robert Iger

Robert Iger was the Cheif Executive Officer of Walt Disney Company for 15 years. In this book, Robert Iger gives excellent leadership lessons.

In his epilogue, he narrates an incident where a family visiting Disneyland had a traumatic experience where an alligator attacked their young toddler; Though his team was handling the issue; he took it upon himself to reach out to the family. Again, this shows his excellent leadership quality. 

As a studio supervisor, Robert Iger worked from scratch, sometimes experiencing terrible office politics., receiving end of boss's terrible mood swings or at times abuse. But, through constant perseverance, he rose through the executive level. Even at the executive level, his encouragement for creativity, taking risks and accepting honest mistakes made by employees. A multinational company CEO accepting his mistakes publicly and encouraging a work environment of creativity, risk-taking & ethics is a leadership skill needed even in our own lives.  

Optimistic & calm - behaviour, never tell your employees " the sky is falling" or being pessimistic around them will get the work done or things better. Being empathetic to others will only do you good no matter what position you work in; it's okay to have problems, but it's essential to find a solution. 

Constant Pursuit of Perfection, give your best to everything you do, but you should also realise pitfalls and setbacks are a part of life. 

Trust your instinct; when you trust your intuition, things will go in your direction even when the world is against you. For example, when Robert Iger became CEO, people sued the board for their decision. Still, his ability to hear them solve their problems eventually, everyone against him gives in to his support. The way he handles people and situations is a life - lesson in itself. 

This book is a bundle of life- lessons definitely a must-read!

 

MY LIFE IN FULL : WORK , FAMILY AND OUR FUTURE

My Life In Full is written by Indra Nooyi, one of the first women of colour to lead a Fortune 500 company. She is one of the most powerful women in the world. She was the CEO of Pepsico, former chairperson, and now the board of directors of some great companies and organisations like Amazon, Philips and ICC.

When Indra Nooyi became the CEO, the headlines were all over the news. I remember watching her interviews with great awe and admiration as a kid. 

Indra Nooyi talks about her journey from Madras to Connecticut in this book. She talks about her personal and professional life, the constant tug of war of time between home and office, and the continual juggling between home and office. At one point, she is ready to soar high to chase her dreams, but the regret of not spending quality time with her children is something that I have experienced with my working mother.

In one of the incidents with her mother when Indra Nooyi becomes the President of Pepsico, she is enthralled to share the news with her family. When she comes home, her mother asks her to get some milk. Her obvious response is you could have told Raj(her husband, who had already arrived before her), but she responds that her husband was tired when Indra Nooyi finally gets the milk; she tells her mother, I became the President of Pepsico, and all you care is about the milk. Her mother replied, "You may be the President /Board of Director of the Company, but at home, you are a mother, you are a wife, a daughter-in-law, and a daughter leave the damn crown in the garage. This same behaviour I have seen of my maternal grandmother with my working mother. As rightly phrased by Indra Nooyi, Indian mother's attitude towards their daughters is like "One foot on the accelerator and one foot on the brake" at one point, they want their daughters to do well in life make a name for themselves, but at the same point, they want them to be good wife, daughter and mother.

 I am sure all Indian women can relate. Our mother's want us to cook well, do all the household chores and at the same time get good grades, which I realise is quite a time-management lesson. 

Indra Nooyi's sincerity in her work is commendable. Indra Nooyi has a bird's eye view of all the business strategies and decisions, her consumer-centric approach and her efforts towards making Pepsico's business operations environment friendly and focusing on nutritional food through PwP(Performance with Purpose), which was applauded by some criticised by some, when one of the board members responded by passing a shrewd comment like "What do you think you are, Mother Teresa !" but she was firm to her point. Later, she set up a child-care centre in the Pepsico office; the personalised letter's to employees' families acknowledge that the companies are not just hiring a single employee but indirectly the employee's family. 

With a good work environment and support schemes, employees can bring their best to work. But, of course, all of this entails Indra Nooyi's outstanding leadership. 

This book will not only give you life lessons but, as an aspiring entrepreneur, has made me realise that businesses are not about short term profit or cash-making models; indeed, they are about values that you offer to society if you want to go for a long run. Without a doubt, this book is a must-read.

The President Is Missing:- Bill Clinton & James Paterson

This book is a political thriller written by Bill Clinton and  James Patterson. The story starts with the US President giving an impeachment trial, and his team is preparing him for it by asking high-pressure questions. But the reason for impeachment is still unclear.  

 The president is seen dealing with a significant threat to the United States, But what is that threat? What is the president hiding from the nation? He figures out there is a culprit in the White House helping the biggest enemy of the United States. The president juggles his ailing health, heartbreak from his wife's death and internal politics from impeachment. 

Throughout the book, the author keeps us on our feet, guessing what's next. In this book, you'll experience what it is to be a leader and the staggering suspense.

THE SILENT PATIENT BY ALEX MICHAELIDES

The Silent Patient ,this story is in the backdrop of England, where Alicia Berenson (a famous artist) kills her husband (a photographer for fashion magazines) Gabriel. The couple were prominent, wealthy, known for their love, married for seven years. Their friends and family never suspected anything wrong between them. What happened that drove Alicia to shot her husband several times in the face.  The gunshots were heard by their neighbour, who called the police. When the police arrived, Alicia didn't speak a word in her defence.  Before her trial, she never slept nor ate; she only painted her last masterpiece, "Alcestis". Her enduing silence generated a lot of speculation among the media and the public. 

Alicia is kept in a psychiatric ward. After the murder, she never spoke. The storyline shifts to Theo, a psychotherapist who gets an offer at the "Grove " medical facility. The same one where Alicia is kept. Theo considers this an opportunity to get Alicia to talk about the murder and increase his medical endeavour. 

The question is will Theo succeed in getting Alicia to talk? What exactly happened? To know this, you should read the book "Silent Killer". This book is hard to keep down, and the end plot twist is exciting. 

The Tatooist Of Aushwitz : Heather Morris

 

The Tattooist Of Auschwitz is a story based on the holocaust. This story has bones of the past, friendship and love. Holocaust during World War II was the Jewish, Romani and Poles genocide. The Nazi and their allies set up concentration camp across Europe to wipe out the inferior race. The holocaust stories are disturbing and a crucial testimony of humanity. The tattooist of Auschwitz is the story of a holocaust survivor. 

The story starts when Nazi Germany takes over Czechoslovakia, present-day Slovakia. The Slovakian government gives notice to the Jewish Community that they should send at least one family member to the camp to save other members. That's when the main protagonist comes into the story, "Ludwig",, Lale a Slovakian Jew. A fierce young Slovakian soldier who takes pride in his nationality than his religion and is let down by his own country. Nevertheless, to save his family, he willingly goes to the camp.

 Ludwig is taken into Auschwitz - Birkenau Camp; he is horrified and disturbed by the conditions in the camp. Men and women are forced to wear prisoner uniform, shave their heads and work from the morning dawn to sunset. Many die from starvation and exhaustion. There is a fine line between life and death in the camp. He vows to get out of the camp alive. His willpower to fight through the brutality of the concentration camp is inspiring. His resilience and survival instincts are commendable—more than that, his larger than life personality. There is a quote by him, "If you wake up in the morning, you are alive, and that's a blessing, which he used, to cheer his campmates. Moreover, you'll learn forgiveness and mercy from him. The story is genuinely intriguing and definitely, a must-read.

A RIVER IN DARKNESS : MASAJI ISHIKAWA

 

"A river in darkness", this book is about Masaji Ishikawa, who fled North Korea, his lifetime experience of North Korea, the worse conditions that a human has to go through beyond imagination. "NORTH KOREA" is a country located in the Korean Peninsula, an independent socialist country often considered a hermit and an isolated country. There are many media reports about its human rights violation, speculation about the life of North Koreans. 

                    Firstly, Masaji, a half Korean and half Japanese, born in Japan and then his family moves to North Korea, promised to be a fruitful land. 

                 The family's expectations are short-lived when they find the living conditions in North Korea far worst than their life in Japan, and to their agony, they have to go through brutal inferior treatment as a returnee. Despite all the hardships, Masaki studies hard and dreams of going to college to study physics but is cut short when he is not allowed. As a returnee, he can follow only certain professions. After that, there are further ups and downs in his life. But things go worst with the plague. There is a shortage of food. People were starving to the extent that they were cases of men eating their family members. Looking at the unbearable condition of his family members, Masaji decides to escape North Korea and save his family from the catastrophe. 

                  This book is a must-read as it will give you an idea about the horrifying living conditions in North Korea and make you count your blessings.  

A Promised Land by Khadija Mastoor

 

The 1947 Indo-Pakistan Partition, divided not just a piece of land, but two similar culture and people. Being an Indian, we know our side of the story, movies, books, or sometimes our own relatives. But do you know the other side of the story, for a Pakistani to leave his ancestral Indian land to this pure land of "Pakistan" and that too from a woman's point of view? 

 A 90's woman whose world is only confined to her household and her family, you might wonder how much of a difference would it make for someone whose only concern is household. Well, this story will surely prove you wrong, refugee camps, starting over from scratch, uncertainty, betrayal, tense family relations, this story portrays all. 

It's slow yet a  beautiful story of Sajidah who leaves her life in India for their own land of Pakistan, living in a refugee camp where everything is helter-skelter, her hope for a better future is shortlived by her father's death. She is taken in by another family, her personal relationship with each member. Sajidah's life in Pakistan in their pure and promise land. This book written by Khadija Mastoor, a celebrated and highly regarded writer in Urdu literature, a classic on its own is definitely a must-read.                    

The Godfather : Mario Puzo

"Behind every crime great fortune there is a crime"

            -- BALZA

 The Godfather written by Mario Puzo is a crime novel published in 1969 , often considered as a classic bestseller. This novel  is based on the lives of fictional mafia family in New York portraying the 1940's criminal underworld. 

When youngest son of the mafia family , Michael reluctant and recluse towards the family business but finds himself drawn towards the mafia world as duty calls when his father is brutally murdered. Unbeknownst to Michael, he carries all the qualities to serve as the "Don". Michael's journey from reluctance to racketeer is one of a blood saga. 

The author's magical writing and his tyrant world of murder, deception, revenge, and ruthless crime will surely baffle you. Without a doubt, this classic is a must. 

Behind Her Eyes :- Sarah Pinborough

 Behind Her Eyes:- Sarah Pinborough  is a thriller novel by English author Sarah Pinborough who is a New York Times bestselling and Sunday Times Number one  and Internationally bestselling author. 

This book is a thriller , physiological mystery and a suspense  novel. The novel is based on the lives of David (a psychiatrist ) , Louise (a single mother) and Adele(David's wife). Louise runs into David in a bar and kisses him , unbeknownst that he is her boss more so over that he is married . The two rub it off at the moment , but can't keep apart eventually . Things get further complicated when Louise runs into Adele and the two become friends but Louise is Adele's only friend . 

Inadvertently Louise finds herself drawn into the lives of Adele and David . She senses something suspicious  with them individually and their marriage . The more she entangles herself out of their lives  the more she finds tangled to it. 

The characters are dreary and enigmatic , when you think you know where the plot is heading  , it proves you wrong . The storyline is full of twists and turns . Each and every chapter of the book is a puzzle within itself . This book will surely keep you hooked . The end will certainly defy you. 

The Code Of The Extraordinary Mind By Vishen Lakhiani

The code of The Extraordinary Mind 

By reading the title , I believe most of you might have realized that it's a self help book. Now , I am going to be a bit honest with you , am not really a fan of self help books because many times I believe things written in those books are easier said then done and many of those books are written by gurus with embezzled portfolio of over achievements who haven't even experienced or (maybe they have but don't talk about it ) mundane failures which personally have pushed me into a space of disappointment .

For those of you , who kind of agree with me The Code Of The Extraordinary Mind is none of those typical self help books . It is written by Vishen Lakhiani a motivational speaker , founder and CEO of Mindvalley .The author blatantly talks about his struggles , I felt a sense of relief when I read a person of that certain aura as that of Vishen Lakhiani talking about those mundane struggles brushed off majorly  by everyone .

"Rules imposed by the society which need to be broken off ?" quite a famous ideology right ! fashionably coined by the author as "brules" , he lists those brules and abashes them . This book is definitely a game changer with self development ideology , it is going to mess with your definitions of life and throw you in a space where you will definitely ponder on some things. Yes, this self help book is worth the shot. 

TRAIN TO PAKISTAN : KHUSHWANT SINGH

" The fact is both the sides killed. Both shot and stabbed and speared and clubbed. Both tortured . Both raped."

― Kushwant Singh 

The end of the British colonial era saw the most dramatic and devastating partition of India and Pakistan in 1947. This unfortunate event is recounted by Khushwant Singh an Indian journalist , diplomat and politician who has pen down his own personal experience of pain and sorrow through this historic novel Train To Pakistan through the perspective of Juggut Singh ( a village gangster).

The novel is based on the village of Mano Majra , on the borders of India and Pakistan , where Sikhs and Muslims live together peacefully where partition seems a political foul play . They don't pay much heed to it and carry on to their  daily routine. 

But slowly , the situation tenses when a train full of dead Sikh bodies passes through the village. 

The tables have turned , there's unrest , suspicions and conflicting loyalties much to the aghast of the magistrate and police officer who find themselves helpless in this situation . This book is a must read to get a glimpse of the partition whose effect is still lingering in the hearts of people. 

I AM MALALA : The Girl Who Stood Up for Education And Was Shot By The Taliban

I AM MALALA : The Girl Who Stood Up for Education And Was Shot By The Taliban written by Malala Yousafzai with Christina Lamb . Malala Yousafzai winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. In this memoir the author describes her challenging journey where she had to fight for being a women , for her rights and for humanity. 

 Right from her birth, born in an orthodox community where the birth of a male is much celebrated than a female. But , her parents support helped her fight for her rights from a very young age.

When Taliban took control over Swat Valley , her neighborhood struck with terrorism her thirst for education remained unwavered.

Her stoicism and resilience to remain silent for right her for education is inspiring. She stood against the Taliban for which she had to pay a price for her life. On 9th October 2012 , she was shot in head at point-blank range while returning from school, yet she refused to bow down. Inspire of all the tragedies , that shock her life she emerged strong and victorious . 

There's a lot to learn from her fierce personality her perseverance , stubborn courage and dedication. Malala's strength is encouraging , definitely a must read. 

The Diary Of A Young Girl : Anne Frank

In this time of pandemic , confined to our homes for about a span of six months all of us have become anxious and bored.We are eagerly waiting for the vaccine to release us from this depressing saga, with internet , Netflix and uncountable source of entertainment and leisure , we inadvertently find ourselves in this situation . Well, this story is nowhere close to our despair. 

The Diary Of A Young Girl is written by Anne Frank , a 13 year old Jewish girl forced into hiding from the Nazis. Anne and her family hides in an apartment above an office, to avoid any kind of suspicion they have to maintain absolute pin-drop silence . For two years Anne and her family were confined to this apartment. 

Anne's diary recounts vivid description of her days in hiding , there's a constant fear to be caught yet Anne lives her life to the fullest, her petty disagreements with family members , romance with one of the family friend , her hope for a better life.Anne's remarkable journey is  a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent  testament to the human spirit.

Tales Of Fosterganj : Ruskin Bond

The Tales Of Fosterganj is written by Ruskin Bond , one of the iconic writers. In this book the author enthralls the readers with enchanting stories based on the fiction rustic town of Fosterganj on the  outskirts of Mussorie.  

 

This book is about stories happened during the year long stay of the author in Fosterganj and the lives of the people in this dusty town. There are stories about Hassan , Sunil ,Vishal , Old Foster and long tailed magpies fitting among the oak trees , these exciting characters and their frivolous lives. 

There are elements of laughter, mystery , frolic , pinch  of satire to hard hitting reality ,author's peculiar  observation will transit you to this town in the Himalayas . At times you are laughing hard to the character's naiveness and other times you are on your toes guessing the epilogue.  It's simple and just nice . A must read. 

Lets Pretend This Never Happened : Jenny Lawson

Lousing on my couch , I thought of reading a funny book so I googled up "most funny book" the first name that popped up was "Lets Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson ". After reading the book I can guarantee you guys that this book is unlike the quintessential comedy its unconventionally funny.  The writer Jenny Lawson is an American (does it matter) journalist , blogger and writer. 

 

In this book the author talks about her bizarre upbringing in rural Texas. The author gives a funny outlook on all her struggles , the author doesn't shy away using slang words notoriously famous with the millennials . Each chapter is bag full of laughter. The way the author talks about some of the serious teenage issues with a lot of humor is calming . 

The author makes sure readers buy her story by posting a lot of pictures . The author describes her lows  with a lot of humor which is best . This book is refreshing in its own way the writing style , the jokes . Definitely , worth the shot. 

Mossad:The Greatest Missions of the Isreali Secret Service :Michael Bar-Zohar & Nissim Mishal

“To protect civilians, the state needs sometimes to do things that are contrary to democratic behavior. It is true that in units like ours the outer limits can become blurred. That's why you must be sure that your people are of the best quality. The dirtiest actions should be carried out by the most honest men.” 
― Michael Bar-Zohar, Mossad

Mossad is based on the expeditions of Isreali Intelligence "Mossad " which is recognized as the world's best secret service intelligence . It is written by Michael Bar-Zohar and Nissim Mishal who have engineered this book through intensive research and interviews with Isreali leaders and Mossad agents recreating the heroic missions, vividly bringing in life  those operatives who risked everything to pull up the operation .

The book complies the most enchanting heart throbbing and enigmatic stories shrouded in secrecy. The stories bring out some of the most dangerous , bold and  intrepid operations for the security of the country. The capture of some of the most notorious dreadful Nazis, the eradication of Black September, the destruction of the Syrian nuclear facility, the elimination of key Iranian nuclear scientists and many others. 

It throws limelight on the hidden world of espionage. 

 Each risky operation has its own share of success and failures .The sabotage of diplomatic ties each failed operations brings. The enormous pressure the chief of the agency has to deal with ,to bring out coward bold operations careful managing the political ties .60 years of Mossad has definitely defined Isreal and the world politics. 

This book is nerve wrecking , the breathtaking stories will keep you on hook. The suspense of the operations will keep you on toes. Once you start reading this book, you just can't keep it away. 

Our Moon Has Blood Clots : Rahul Pandita

Our Moon Has Blood Clots is based on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in late 1989 and early 1990. 

    Initially the author talks about the history of Kashmir through decades. The origin  of Kashmiri Pandits and their lives in the valley the detailed description of the festivals and culture. 

Then the backdrop changes to the tense environment when the agitation for the cries of 'Azaadi ' from India increases. The fear of being massacred in your own home. Rahul Pandita's family flees its home in Srinagar along with many families to Jammu who were lucky enough to survive while hundreds of thousands of thousands of other Kashmiri Pandits were tortured and killed by Islamist militants. 

The author describes the helplessness and emotional trauma his family and he went through when they were forced to live in exile in one's own country . The struggle to adjust with a permanent emotional scar through rest of his life. The last part where the author visits  his ancestral home where he has to knock to enter his own house to find new occupants where each corner of the house built by his ancestors with blood and sweat only to be occupied with someone else leaves me heartbroken .

As an Indian its gripping and detail description of brutality that our own countrymen had to go through brings goosebumps . The untold story of Kashmiri pandit ethnic cleansing couldn't be written better. Its a must read for not only an Indian but a human against human atrocities.

I've Never Been Unhappier: Shaheen Bhatt

I've Never Been Unhappier by Shaheen Bhatt. The author here doesn't need an introduction she is the daughter of the famous filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt and sister of Alia Bhatt. In this book the author talks about her depression . Now I know most of you reading this would be thinking that how does a person endowed with fame and money be diagnosed with depression.

 Thats where this book breaks all stigma regarding depression . Depression is just not attached to one particular strata of society and its not just a phase or feeling that will just pass. Its a clinical disorder which has to be treated. In this book the writer writes her personal notes during her days of depression like how getting out of the bed is a struggle , the mood-swings , the emptiness and the sleepless nights. 

The author talks about her struggle with fitting in with the peer groups, weight issues , which I think most of the millennials today face. Then the worst of  battling suicidal thoughts , fighting the irreparable

lose of losing someone close ,addiction to alcohol and how you shun away yourself from your dear and loved ones. 

After battling all these issues coming face to your condition and gathering the courage to seek help. Now, here the author is bluntly honest about counseling and medical help that how one needs to keep faith in counseling and keep trying till you find the right counsellor to talk your heart out. Reading this book will broaden one's opinion about depression , the author's detailed description will make you realize the seriousness of mental health. Yes ! Its a must read.

The Land of Permanent Goodbyes : Atia Abawi

                                                

The Land of Permanent Goodbyes is a powerful novel based on refugee crisis of Syria. It throws limelight on the turmoil of the lives of the people who had to experience the most unfortunate event in the history giving them scars for life. 

The main protagonist of the novel is Tareq whose world turns upside down when a bomb strikes his  home killing most of his family. His city in ruins and its humanity shattered with his dad and little sister survived. They have to make a conflicting choice to leave everything behind to survive. 

As they travel from Syria to Turkey to and then to Germany in search of better life , facing danger , hostility , and subtle racism , Tareq's resilience to bow down to the odds and hope to give his younger sister a  protected and better life.

Tareq's harrowing, haunting  journey will surely bring shiver down your spine and change your perspective about a refugee and  the evil aftermaths of a war .You will realize how much comfort you are endowed with ,where one has to fight for his own existence.