Book Review: Maverick by Ricardo Semler

‘Maverick’

By: Ricardo Semler

Arrow Books

ISBN 978-0-712-67886-5

Semco has been one of Latin America’s most successful and fast growing companies, best known for its innovative and democratic business practices and philosophy. The credit to all goes to Ricardo Semler who grew the company with himself. This book, first published as Virando a Própria Mesa ("Turning Your Own Table") is a best seller in which Ricardo spills the beans about his company and its practices.

The book captures the historical growth of the company. For this purpose, Semco and Ricardo Semler are no two separate entities but one. Reading about his ways and the kind of revolutions he made in the way businesses are conducted, I had to consistently fight my disbelief and skepticism. Semler has shown us that it is possible to run a company where every employee feels great about his/her job, a company which is most ethical in practices, where all employees are empowered irrespective of anything, where there are no hierarchies, and no rules and policies!

If you are interested in business management, this is one book you just can’t miss to read!

- Rahul

Semco website: http://www.semco.com.br/pt/

Here is a good capture of some stuff that make the Semco Way:

The above image is from: http://www.thelearningweb.net/chapter04/page156.html

Book Review: Dabawalas by Shrinivas Pandit

‘Dabawalas: Lessons for building lasting success based on values’

By: Shrinivas Pandit

Tata McGraw-Hill

ISBN-13 978-0-07-062151-0

Mumbai’s Dabbawallas are a case study to the world. They are a proof that in order to achieve business and process excellence, you don’t necessarily need a technically superior and cost wise expensive setup in place. The basic business ethics and zeal to provide best customer service score more to make organizations great and successful than technical tools and capital resources. In this book, Shrinivas Pandit has done a comprehensive analysis of Mumbai’s (once called Bombay) 5000+ semi-literate famous Dabawalas who serve thousands of customers with their individual home cooked food, every day for the last 115 years!

The book has been written in the format of a conversation with mainly two Dabawalas – Raghu and Ganga. It captures things like their origin to the journey, personal beliefs to business rules, daily challenges to client satisfaction – almost everything on the subject that comes to mind. Intermittently the authors have inserted and documented the learning taken from Dabawalas which can be applicable to businesses of all size, be it entrepreneurs or the MNCs.

The size of the book is concise and the language is simple. It may not be enough to cover each and every aspect to the minutest detail, but captures a good part overall for a less-heavy read.

A good read for anyone curious about Mumbai’s Dabawalas.

- Rahul

Book Review: Shiva Plays Dumb Charades by Devdutt Pattanaik

‘Fun in Devlok: Shiva Plays Dumb Charades’

By: Devdutt Pattanaik

Puffin Books

ISBN 978-0-143-33169-8

Dr. Devdutt Pattanaik is one of India’s most popular present day mythologists. I am a big fan of his writings and I picked up this book looking at its curious title. In his “Fun in Devlok” series of books which he has written for the children, Dr. Pattanaik tells simple and very interesting mythological stories explaining concepts in the easiest ways for children to grasp.

“Shiva Plays Dumb Charades” is set into a home where a group of children are playing the game of dumb charades. Suddenly, Lord Shiva, the ultimate and Supreme God, appears in front of them and becomes a participant. Next, as they all play Dumb Charades, the children get to know the real meanings of the symbols, gestures and portraits of Lord Shiva as seen in the Nataraj form. I found myself unable in explaining many of those concepts and this book was an enlightening read for me too.

The book is full of sketches friendly to children and font sizes are big. I found the back cover mentioning that the book is for children above 6 years age. Since I am also above 6 years of age, so I hope no one gives me a curious look if I collect all the books in this series for myself!

It’s a wonderful gift to children and an enlightening read for all. I highly recommend it to everyone.

- Rahul

Book Review: Words of Freedom: Ideas of a Nation by Bhagat Singh

‘Words of Freedom: Ideas of a Nation’

By: Bhagat Singh

Penguin Books

ISBN 9780143068884

Shaheed Bhagat Singh is an icon of India’s freedom movement. His life-story has inspired thousands to do something worthwhile for their nation and continues to inspire the youth, generation after generation. He was a lion-hearted young man who spent his life, blood and death for the betterment of his nation called Bharat (or India). At the time he was hanged by the British, he was only 23 years old. Penguin has done a great work by compiling some of his writings, letters and revolutionary literature in the form of a small book. Readers get to know Bhagat Singh better and also delve into his “ideas” for our nation.

The book would also serve a very good means of waking us up to the realities of our nation. Have we in all these years proven the sacrifice of our freedom-fighters worth the efforts? Are we doing something for a better future of our nation? Or are we still stuck in the webs of religion, caste or location, which divide us and make us weak? In these pages, Bagat Singh puts his views very strongly. He also challenges those (Congress members) who were apparently soft on the British policies and believed in small incremental gains towards the freedom. His ideas on religion are also very strong and provocative, but well-grounded. Here is a sample of some lines from the first article:

“While we Indians, what are we doing? A branch of a peepal tree is cut and religious feelings of the Hindus are injured. A corner of a paper idol, tazia, of the idol-breaker Mohammedans is broken, and ‘Allah’ gets enraged, who cannot be satisfied with anything less than the blood of the infidel Hindus.” (P-7)

“The conservativeness and orthodoxy of the Hindus, extra-territorialism and fanaticism of the Mohammedans and narrow-mindedness of all the communities in general are always exploited by the foreign enemy.” (P-9)

“We want people who may be prepared to fight without hope, without fear and without hesitation, and who may be willing to die un-honored, unwept and unsung.” (P-10)

(From manifesto of The Naujawan Bharat Sabha, founded by Bhagat Singh in 1926 in Lahore)

(I think his idea of freedom-fighters to be ready to fight even without hope points to the eternal teaching of Lord Krishna in Gita)

Reading Bhagat Singh’s letters and speeches to the British, I couldn’t stay without being in awe of his intellect and brilliance! I think if the British gave him a fair trial, he would have got himself free, given the way he explained the matters and debated in the court. But alas, the British were bent on hanging him and ignored crucial evidence and facts, and went about their own determined ways. Bhagat Singh asked to be shot dead by a gun rather than being hanged, but no surprise that the British didn’t want to grant him his last wish too.

Sardar Bhagat Singh’s story is worth being read, told and sung with all our heart, until each Indian counts one’s nation above one’s other priorities. It also points towards self-reflection to the communities who count some other nations and their foreign beliefs above our nation, or those Indians who harm our nation’s prospects in the name of business and trade.

I find myself lucky to have read this book. Highly recommended to all India-lovers.

- Rahul