Category: Book summaries

Summary: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Ashish on October 8, 2011

The book talks about a set of habits which differentiates successful people from the normal. It criticizes [recently popular] personality ethic which it terms as deceptive and manipulative and calls for character ethic which is a fundamental change in human character. This change must begin from inside and spreads out [inside-out] and the reverse is not possible.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

The book is divided into three parts

Summary: Built to Last (Successful habit of visionary companies)

Ashish on September 9, 2011

The book compares a set of 17 companies that are considered visionary with similar 17 companies of lesser stature. I am avoiding gory details of their methodology here. To derive theory from practice, the book aims at debunking common myths about visionary companies.

Built to Last

Summary: India Unbound

Ashish on July 2, 2011

The book is divided primarily into three parts, pre-independence era [focused on British Raj including some stories of Mughal period], post-independence pre-liberalized era and post-liberalized India.
Since the author was born in 1943 West Punjab, which is now under the occupation of Pakistan, he narrates his personal experiences of the economic conditions of India from 1947-2001.

India Unbound

Summary: “Difficulty of being good: Subtle art of Dharma”

Ashish on June 22, 2011

The book interprets events in Mahabharata while trying to draw parallels from the contemporary world.
Following are the key takeaways based on my understanding of the book. I am assuming some familiarity with the story of Mahabharata.

Difficulty of being good