Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Author R.J. Palacio

Title: Wonder

Author: R.J. Palacio

Published: 2012 by The Bodley Head (Random House group)

Pages: 313

Find it at: Amazon

My Rating: 5/5! <3

Goodreads Blurb!

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

My Thoughts!

The use of words here might seem lame, but Wonder is a wonderful story. August (Auggie) Pullman is a ten year old kid with a facial deformity (craniofacial abnormalities). That shouldn't be something to define him by, but it's also something that cannot be ignored, not at first anyway. It's hard for him to deal with it and within the carefully presented story in Wonder, we live through a year in Auggie's life as he makes a major transition - going to school for the first time in fifth grade, after having been home-schooled for years. It's not a sad story, but it's a lot about dealing with problems. It's about friendship, love and kindness and all the human things that take time to develop, but develop they do. He's most certainly not disabled, so his parents choose to send him to a regular school. It's hard for August to initially find himself the center of attention for so many people at once. He's used to being stared at, or perhaps the quick saw-you-but-ohmygod-I'll-look-away kind of awkward look, but definitely not coming across a huge group of middle schoolers who could be mean, awkward or totally kind. 

Pic credit: Mr. Solarz

Wonder is August's story, but it's also about his family. His mom, dad and fourteen year old sister, Olivia, all of whom love him to bits. You'd think having an unusual face would be hard, and it sure is, but the book also explores how people around August deal with it. It's quite heart-warming to see how much his family loves him, and how the problem makes some of their habits different from other families. One of the best things about this story is that it is full of optimism. Auggie's family, his teachers and the friends he eventually makes, all learn to love him and make him feel confident of his abilities. He's a normal kid with a classic reverence for Star Wars and love for his dog, Daisy. He's smart, intelligent, sometimes witty and honestly sincere. And let's face it: very, very brave.

The book explores not just August's life, but also those of other characters, which is again, one of the coolest things about this book. It's been written and presented just so well. You wouldn't really get to judge anyone, because just when you are about to form your opinions of a character, bam! You'd get their side of the story. When Olivia (Via) does something you'd be inclined to say is wrong, she'd put in her story, and then you'd think even more broadly and look at Auggie as a normal dude. I think the writing style does something to the book's overall feel. It doesn't ask you to pity a boy with a haphazard face, even when it talks about his problems, because it shows how people do try to deal with it, how they themselves learn a lot and how it is possible to get over anything with love and kindness. It is very much capable of instilling in hope. Like Auggie's mom says, "there are always going to be jerks in the world. But I really believe that there are more good people on this earth than bad people, and the good people watch out for each other and take care of each other."

I loved all the characters, with the slight exception of Julian, the mean kid who bullied Auggie, but now since in the latest version of the book, the author has included a chapter on Julian, I'm looking forward to reading it! Perhaps that would explain things from his point of view, just like it was done with others. I loved the girl called Summer too. We so need more kids like her! And like Jack. Apart from the emotion-invoking writing and complete, lovable characters, Wonder is also a great example of a really good book. Maybe now that my work involves looking at these sort of things and that's why I'm observing it, but it has many elements that a budding writer could make use of. But coming back to the story, another thing that struck me were the dialogues - it was like each character spoke on its own, in their unique voice. Those are capable of making a reader laugh, smile, giggle, feel anxious, whatever, on their own accord. The ending is brilliant! I couldn't have been more satisfied, although I didn't want the book to end either. Oh, Mr. Tushman (yep, that's his name!), I liked you in the beginning and all through, but you took all the love with the ending! :')

I can see many re-readings in the line! Wonder is recommended to everyone. 

Some quotable quotes from the book:

“If every person in this room made it a rule that wherever you are, whenever you can, you will try to act a little kinder than is necessary - the world really would be a better place. And if you do this, if you act just a little kinder than is necessary, someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you, in every single one of you, the face of God.” 

“Do people look the same when they go to heaven, mommy?"

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"Then how do people recognize each other?"

"I don't know, sweetie. They just feel it. You don't need your eyes to love, right? That's how it is in heaven. It's just love, and no one forgets who they love.”

“The things we do are the most important things of all. They are more important than what we say or what we look like. The things we do outlast our mortality. The things we do are like monuments that people build to honor heroes after they’ve died. They’re like the pyramids that the Egyptians built to honor the pharaohs. Only instead of being made out of stone, they’re made out of the memories people have of you. That’s why your deeds are like your monuments. Built with memories instead of with stone.”

“Here’s what I think: the only reason I’m not ordinary is that no one else sees me that way.”

Review: Dhandha by Shobha Bondre

Shobha Bondre

Title: Dhandha, How Gujaratis Do Business

Author: Shobha Bondre

Translated by: Shalaka Walimbe

Published: Random Business, May 2013

Pages: 281

Find it at: Amazon

Genre: Non-Fiction

My Rating: 4/5!

What is the book about?

The Blurb says:

Dhandha, meaning business, is a term often used in common trade parlance in India. But there is no other community that fully embodies what the term stands for than the Gujaratis.

Shobha Bondre’s Dhandha is the story of a few such Gujaratis: Jaydev Patel—the New York Life Insurance agent credited with having sold policies worth $2.5 billion so far; Bhimjibhai Patel—one of the country’s biggest diamond merchants and co-founder of the ambitious ‘Diamond Nagar’ in Surat; Dalpatbhai Patel—the motelier who went on to become the mayor of Mansfield County; Mohanbhai Patel—a former Sheriff of Mumbai and the leading manufacturer of aluminium collapsible tubes; and Hersha and Hasu Shah—owners of over a hundred hotels in the US.

Travelling across continents—from Mumbai to the United States—in search of their story and the common values that bond them, Dhandha showcases the powerful ambition, incredible capacity for hard work, and the inherent business sense of the Gujaratis.

My Thoughts!

If you've been following my blog since some time, you'd have noticed the astonishingly huge gap between the number of Fiction and Non-Fiction books. I prefer Fiction any time. Although I've now started looking at Non-Fiction as immense sources of useful information too! It might be because of the realization that I'm actually doing an MBA or maybe because I just got some mature-ness in the way I perceive things. In short, it's time for Non-Fiction too. Dhandha seemed to be an ideal choice because one, it was on business and two, it seemed to be interesting! Yes, the cover is okay-ish, not too appealing, but the blurb was intriguing, right? And frankly, I had heard my dad speaking a lot about the business sense of Gujaratis. I wanted to know what it is all about. I've been feeling quite pleased (and inspired) after reading this book. Essentially a compilation of five successful business stories, Dhandha explores the lives and the steps towards success each of them lived through, in great detail. 

The book is a compilation of five success stories, five businessmen belonging to the Gujarati community from different kinds of personal backgrounds. The underlying force that these people have in common is their business blood. Their amazing sense of finding out opportunities for carrying out businesses and the immense amount of hard work and relentless efforts they put in to see their business reaching the stars! It's amazing to read about their life stories from scratch, how the idea for a business took seed and how it grew. These are definitely not fairy tales. The essence of the book is to highlight the differentiating factor, the thing that distinguishes Gujaratis from the rest of the world when it comes to business and the book beautifully portrays it. The stories are not just about how their businesses grew, but also about the whole family of the businessman and how they helped, the unforeseen events, the troubles and obstacles they faced, the failures, but the best thing in all these stories was the amazing attitude for success and persistence these people showed. 

For example, Mohanbhai Patel (leading producer of collapsible aluminium tubes in the world) in his story, The Circle of Life talks about how once while experimenting with a new machine tool for producing opthalmic nozzle tubes (used for packing eye ointment) with aluminium (usually tin is used all over the world. This was the first time anyone tried using aluminium), the machine tool broke down and he tried not three, four or five times, but 30 times! That was when it worked! I mean, if the tool keeps on breaking, you'd abandon the idea after maximum ten times, right? It's quite something to try it till you get what you want. Another thing I loved about this whole understanding of their business sense is how they are still so humble and modest. Most of them (four stories out of five are about Patels) have reached immense heights of success, some in India, some based in US, but they've always helped others in many different ways and shared ideas and information. Their decency and humbleness was what I liked best, apart from the infused enthusiasm for "more". The only thing I did not identify well with was how almost all of them have been working hard, all the time, leaving little time for family. In all the cases the whole family was involved. Yes, not forcefully, but still I think it does have an impact on the kind of relationships you have with your kids.   

The narrative is in first person, mostly from the point of view of the main protagonist of the story. Where there were more people involved, like in some cases there were family members, the story continues from their POVs as well. I found the writing style simple. Sometimes I felt it was too simple for my taste, but that could have been because of translation. I'm not sure. It was still a gripping read, mostly because stories were well structured and written in a way that gives you a neat, step-by-step account of someone's life and business events and milestones and troubles. The stories were definitely super-interesting! I don't have any favorite because I liked all of them for their own USPs. Yep, I'm more inclined towards those with the businessmen who lived and established themselves in India itself. I agree, those who went abroad to the US had a hard time settling down, getting jobs, starting a business, then gradually expanding and ultimately being successful. But I'm more appreciative of those who made use of resources available in India. I absolutely loved the story of Bhimjibhai Patel, a diamond merchant who started from scratch. Literally. He didn’t know languages apart from Gujarati, but he proved that language is no barrier. It’s only the hard work, intense dedication, practical approach, readiness to learn and the inborn enthusiasm to see themselves as successful businessmen that matters.  

The book is definitely inspirational! Personally, I feel inspired to not feel scared of challenges, for there is proof that you can achieve anything you want if you really work hard and smart for it. I also feel like not complaining when I don't get enough time to enjoy my hobbies or to sleep. If you're looking for inspiration, you must read this book. It's not boring at all! :D

PS- The five stories were about these people:

1. Bhimjibhai Patel, diamond merchant

2. Mohanbhai Patel, world's leading producer of collapsible aluminium tubes 

3. Dalpatbhai Patel, owner of motels in US and Mayor of Mansfield Township

4. Jaydev Patel, renowned Life Insurance Agent 

5. Hasu and Hersha Shah, owners of the Hersha Group (having more than 100 hotels)

Truly amazing stories! :D

Thank you Random House publishers for this book! :)

In the Sea There are Crocodiles

Fabio Geda

Book Title: In The Sea There Are Crocodiles: The Story of Enaiatollah Akbari

Author: Fabio Geda

Published: 2011 by Harvill Secker (Random House)

Find it on Amazon here

Pages: 211

My Rating: 5/5!

You know those kinds of books which you look at, think already it's going to be great, and keep them aside to be read when you're free, so that you don't just have to take any breaks in between. This is one of those books, except that I couldn't really stop myself and ended up starting it even when I wasn't having any holiday. But that doesn't matter in the least! Breaks in between or not, this book is absolutely fantastic. Please read this. If you're one of those readers who'd read the book carefully and slowly, you'll find yourself pondering over each line and most importantly, it might even affect your outlook on life.

Goodreads Blurb!

One night before putting him to bed, Enaiatollah's mother tells him three things: don't use drugs, don't use weapons, don't steal. The next day he wakes up to find she isn't there. They have fled their village in Ghazni to seek safety outside Afghanistan but his mother has decided to return home to her younger children. Ten-year-old Enaiatollah is left alone in Pakistan to fend for himself. 

In a book based on a true story, Italian novelist Fabio Geda describes Enaiatollah's remarkable five-year journey from Afghanistan to Italy where he finally managed to claim political asylum. His ordeal took him through Iran, Turkey and Greece, working on building sites in order to pay people-traffickers, and enduring the physical misery of border crossings squeezed into the false bottoms of lorries or trekking across inhospitable mountains. A series of almost implausible strokes of fortune enabled him to get to Turin, where he found help from an Italian family and met Fabio Geda.

The result of their friendship is this unique book in which Enaiatollah's engaging, moving voice is brilliantly captured by Geda's subtle storytelling. In Geda's hands, Enaiatollah's journey becomes a universal story of stoicism in the face of fear, and the search for a place where life is liveable.

<sounds interesting, right? :D >

My Thoughts!
As much as the cover is intriguing, as much as you feel curious about the title, the book's even more interesting. First, this is actually not fiction, but the story of a boy called 'Enaiatollah Akbari', who lived in Nava, Afghanistan when he's ten. In the end when he meets the book's author, Fabio Geda, he's in Italy and finished telling his story when he's about twenty one. It's been categorized as Fiction because in some parts, little fictional details  have been added (to fill in the missing pieces). But it's actually a true, wrench-your-heart-out kind of a story. The kind you wouldn't ever want to forget. 

So, at the age of ten, Enaiat is traveling outside Nava, his home with his mother, leaving his brother and sister for a while. His mother takes him to Quetta in Pakistan and makes him promise three things one night. The next day she's not there. The book then goes on to describe, in a soft narrative tone, how Enaiat managed to live in Quetta, the people he met, how he felt those first few days when he was left to fend for himself. The narrative is soft, not too descriptive, as Enaiat focuses on talking about only those things that matter in the story, nothing else. But that doesn't make the book any less engrossing. It's addictive. Even when I wasn't reading (thanks to the end-of-semester hectic schedule in my pathetic college), I found myself thinking about the story. About how, when I was getting sad over someone not talking to me just like we used to, there was Enaiat, a small boy traveling with traffickers, working on construction sites, trying to find people who'd help him. I mean, when you've seen a glimpse of another's life (and Enaiat is actually two years older to me in reality), a life that's in stark contrast to your own, you can't find much to complain about.

I mean really, when I think about it all, I see how different lives can be. While I was probably learning two-wheel bicycling, Enaiat was running around in a factory in Qom, Iran, trying to collect enough wages to travel further, while I was complaining about not having electricity in summer nights as an eleven year old, Enaiat was probably walking lost in Iran, trying to find cardboard boxes to settle into. How then, do you still feel like complaining? It was also sort of a reality check, as I absolutely had no idea how bad things are. Still are. Have I really been so ignorant, not knowing how people are living in some neighbouring countries? We read about how Enaiat goes all the way to Turin, Italy, over the course of five years, where finally, he meets good and kind people who help him, where he finally feels at home. It's euphoric at the end, but it's tragic too. The ending (which was really, the new beginning of Enaiat's life) made me cry. It would make anyone cry, not just because of how such an ordeal it was for him (and also for many others who travel as illegals), but also because we're always worrying over and crying over such dumb things.

Fabio Geda with Enaiatollah Akbari (Pic from the Sunday
Guardian website)

We have to know that most of the things we worry about don't matter. That there are people fighting for just survival. I'd recommend everyone to read this book. See how this boy at age ten, travels from Afghanistan to Pakistan to Iran to Turkey to Greece and finally, to Italy by age 15. See how brave he is, see how he looks at the world, it'll change your perspective. This is a book to be kept with you, and I'm not saying this because I'm trying to commercialize the story or anything, but because I feel everyone must be given such an example of bravery, courage, innocence and trust. I loved it. :)

Some lines from the book I saved! 

"You must always have a wish in front of your eyes and it's in trying to satisfy our wishes that we find the strength to pick ourselves up, and if you hold a wish up high, any wish, just in front of your forehead, then life will always be worth living."

"Before coming to terms with other people you have to come to terms with yourself. How can you give love if you don't love your own life?"

"... It was just strange seeing all those relaxed, calm, confident people around you when you're the only one to feel lost."

PS- A friend once recommended that I don't sit down to write a review immediately after reading the book, as it tends to get more on the emotional side. I guess this one became like that too, but I couldn't help myself. I had to write about it's awesomeness right away!

Thank you Random House publishers for this book! :)

Review: A Gift of Hope by Danielle Steel

Danielle Steel

Title: A Gift of Hope

Author: Danielle Steel

Genre: Non-Fiction

Published: 2012 by Bantam Press (Random House Group)

Find it at: Amazon

Pages: 128

From the book’s cover

In A Gift of Hope, author Danielle Steel shows us how she transformed the pain of losing her beloved son into a campaign of service that enriched her life beyond what she could imagine. For eleven years, Danielle Steel took to the streets with a small team to help the homeless of San Francisco. She worked under cover of darkness, distributing food, clothing, bedding, tools and toiletries to the city’s most vulnerable citizens. She sought no publicity for her efforts and remained anonymous throughout. Now she has chosen to tell her story to bring attention to their plight.

In this unflinchingly honest and deeply moving memoir, the famously private author speaks out publicly for the first time about her work among the most desperate members of society. She offers achingly acute portraits of the people she met along the way-and issues a heartfelt call for more effective action to aid this vast, deprived population. Determined to supply the homeless with the basic necessities to keep them alive, she ends up giving them something far more powerful: a voice.

By turns candid and inspirational, Danielle Steel’s A Gift of Hope is a true act of advocacy and love.

My thoughts

This small book that talks about the author, Danielle Steel’s experience as she went out and started helping the homeless in her city, is deeply moving and truly inspiring. It starts with how, after the loss of her much beloved son to bipolar disorder, she felt that she should do something, a little something to help others, but didn’t quite know what. It was once while she was praying that a thought occurred to her “help the homeless” and it was scary at first, because she had never felt very comfortable with the homeless. As she heard this strange, yet strong thought once or twice again in church, she decided to just do it. Nick (the son she lost) had been kind to the homeless and that fact convinced her to try it out once. One winter night, she set out with a colleague with warm jackets and sleeping bags (about 40) and socks and gloves and simply went up to the people in the streets and offered them what they had to give.

That was the first time and a deeply moving experience for Danielle. She hadn’t thought at first that she’d be doing it more than once, but that first night, the last people she met were “God’s Last Stop Curve Ball”, meaning, those who convinced her that she’d be out again, on another night, to help more people who need her. The book goes about how she gradually starts seeing more people with needs far greater than anyone with a roof over their heads, the way she learns by experience the precise things they need and what would help them to survive till the time they’re either out of the streets or till someone better comes along for help. Her aim is just to provide them with some basic necessities, usually warm clothes, so that they’re warm on cold nights. Her team gradually grows to about 11-13 adults who’re committed to the cause, going out in three vans full of supplies (now in black bags with clothing in different sizes and easy food and common stationery), finding the homeless in doorways and alleys and parks and street corners and handing out the supplies.

The best thing about the book and what this team (who call themselves “Yo! Angel”) is how they weren’t just giving out necessities to those in need, but also providing them hope. That’s what made the people they served (‘clients’) more grateful and happy. More than getting what they need, they know that someone cares for them, someone knows and want to help, that they’re not alone. Just this knowledge that you’re loved can make anyone live through a day and that’s precisely what Yo! Angels provided them. The gift of hope. The book’s full of instances, the author and her team’s doubts and decisions, struggles and helplessness in some cases, because whatever they did, they saw greater need. There never seemed to be enough. Also, it’s not easy to just go out and hand out supplies to the homeless. There are risks which the author talks about from her experience.

The book’s full of heart-warming stories of people they served, how grateful they were when they saw someone helping them get over their needs, if only little by little. It was a humbling experience to even read about it, especially how people either simply cried, or smiled or were thankful. Never in her eleven years of experience did she encounter greed. Some stories were humbling, some profound and all of them intense. There are thousands of people without a home, who shy away from shelters because of the dangers there. Even with government agencies, it’s not enough. The book ends with how, towards the end they included a teddy bear with each bag (on a whim of the author) and weird as it was, it was a gesture much loved by all! At the end, the author talks about other outreach agencies and teams that are working in different ways for the homeless and a plea for financial help, as the need now is ever more and increasing day by day.

I thought at first that I wouldn’t have much to write in a review of this book. How wrong I was! And I haven’t even included my usual comments on writing style and descriptive aspects. I guess it’s not needed. The author wrote the book because she wanted to spread information and facts about the need that’s there right in our backyards. It’s quite inspirational. This book is based in San Francisco, though and talks about the homeless situation in the States. I feel (and as the author points out) that this is one need that’s there everywhere. You can always take inspiration and start helping. Ending with some beautiful lines from the book:

“Whatever happens, I hope you’d continue to hold on to hope too. Even in our darkest moments, it is there. And in all its tenderness and beauty, even if hard to see sometimes, it is life’s greatest gift: the gift of hope. A precious gift to share.”   

Recommended for: Everyone, definitely. 

Thank you Random House publishers for this book! :)

Review: Poor Little Rich Slum

Authors: Rashmi Bansal and Deepak Gandhi

Publisher: Westland Ltd

Pages: 185

Find it at: Amazon

Genre: Non- Fiction

About the Book

Poor Liitle Rich Slum is a book that explores a well known slum in Mumbai, Dharavi. It's a big community, a settlement in place since many generations and has people making their living over there. But what's really interesting is the love the residents have for Dharavi and the contentment they feel while living and working there. 

How is it that Dharavi has so much when it comes to being considered as a 'community'? There are almost all kinds of shops, people doing all kinds of work, kids going to school in Dharavi, social activists and doctors, teachers and shoe makers. Why isn't the redevelopment plan the Government made decades ago, not even starting? The authors explore the area, talk to people and come up with astonishing facts. Facts that everyone must know, facts from which we all can learn, learn how to live a satisfied life.

My Thoughts

The setting is the area of Dharavi, considered 'Asia's largest slum' in Mumbai, yet this isn't fiction. Every story about every person is cent per cent true and actually, very inspiring. Dharavi isn't new to 'visitors'; the curious  guys who want to make documentaries, NGOs, people looking for a place to stay, tour guides giving visitors the 'Dharavi Slum Tour' (really). The residents of Dharavi are very busy in their own lives, living in 10 x 10 ft houses and 1,400 people sharing a common toilet. The interesting point is, those who've made Dharavi their home, can never think of leaving it. Even if they do so physically, they're always connected with their hearts. That's what fascinated authors Rashmi Bansal, Deepak Gandhi and photographer, Dee Gandhi, who went and explored Dharavi for all its fascinating aspects and to understand what makes Dharavi the workers' hub that it is.

When you read about what the residents feel about their 'home', you cannot help feeling all warm inside, even if they're talking about a place that's surrounded by huge garbage dumps and perpetually smelling of something unpleasant. But that's how it is, it's their home, the place where they've learned to live and to work. Many who came to Mumbai from other cities in search for work found a home in Dharavi, with its cheap accommodation and work. There's work for almost everything. From recycling to making dancing shoes, from running a gym with more than 300 members to a company that exports stylish clothes, everyone's made their thing in Dharavi. 

This is the thing the authors wish to convey; how we must take inspiration from the slum dwellers who're motivated enough to start and run their own enterprises, in their own place of dwelling. How the 'bottom of the pyramid' concept works in Dharavi. No one's idle, they work, they live, they teach their kids the trade and provide them education, they accept and move on to new, available technology. They're happy. 10 x 10 ft houses stacked one over the other with ladders for upper floors and 8 people in a house, they're still happy. Quoting the authors, 'Is this enough, we wonder? We can't ask these questions because they are stupid. Life is thriving here, obviously people somehow adjust.

They adjust to lack of privacy.

They adjust to lack of hygiene.

They adjust to lack of progress.'

After knowing about them, we really have to wonder, 'Is the middle class way of life really better?' 

There are stories about some residents who've done really well, like a boy who was homeless and had run away from home in some other city, Jameel Shah now makes dance shoes and has Katrina Kaif, Kylie Minogue, Priyanka Chopra and others as clients. Or Rani Radar, who runs a tailoring center and sends both of her girls to study, one in school and the other in college. There are many more inspirational stories, of these small entrepreneurs who made it to what they wanted, and working for more.

Apart from what residents do and their way of living, the book also has stories about different kinds of people and workers who've come to Dharavi from other places and made efforts to improve the situation. Be it volunteers for 'Teach for India', who've found innovative ways to encourage people to send their kids to school and have taught them English, or an acupuncturist who set up his clinic in Dharavi, seeing how he's been able to treat the residents effectively and with a nominal fee. 

When you look at it from a larger perspective, you see a fully functioning society content with their state, yet striving towards personal perfection. No one's really bothered if the Government hasn't yet begun with the redevelopment, they're happy with it as it is. Because it's a place they call their own. The book has been written in a way that's very engaging, since it includes dialogues and parts of conversations with people and that is something that makes it very interesting. The best part about it all is, there are pictures of those people in Dharavi, their places of work, the products they make, their homes and the structures, the schools and the shops. The pictures really add a very interesting dimension to the book's theme. The thoughtful lines at the end of each chapter really make you think about entrepreneurial possibilities, inspire you with the zeal and zest to live and work among the residents of Dharavi, about how we can work to make a difference, about how one can learn a million little things from a million little people in the marginal sections of society. It's something that gives us, the 'middle class', hope, helps the budding MBAs and other professionals see an alternate way of working. 


Recommended for: It's a must-read for youngsters, to-be entrepreneurs, business personnel and everyone, really.  

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