Books that I read in 2020

I read 46 books in 2020. It has been quite a mix of genres - Science Fiction, Historical Literature, Biographies, Plays, Leadership & Management, Coaching & Counselling, Economics, Philosophy and Spiritualism.

Here's my reviews of some of them that you may find interesting.

A wonderful book . Brilliantly provocative, takes you on the journey of the human civilisation from Stone Age to the current era .. narrated with a heady mix of Philosophy, Psychology ,Technology - their impact & influence on Social, Political and Economic spheres of humans. Also, Religion & Science - their evolution, interrelationship & place in our lives - is explored over entire history of humanity, and importantly, their morphing in the future. Given that the humans till now have focused on conquering Famine, Plague and War, and have succeeded largely, where do we go next ? The answer - immortality, eternal happiness and .. becoming Gods (Deus) ! But, you realise that this is not fantasy; we will achieve these goals - it is a matter of time - given the advances in biotechnology, cyborg engineering, neuroscience, AI and genetic engineering. Beautifully explained with vivid examples.

Of course, the goals of happiness, immorality and divinity will come with a big price tag. The price involves the very essence of our current beliefs in self and meaning of life.

This book is worth reading twice . You can’t put down this book.

This is the most appropriate book to read in the times of covid-19. The original work was in French. Published in 1947, the novel tells the story of a town infected by plague (virus carried by rats) and sealed off from the world . The Plague lasts from April to February.The book deals with individual and group psychology- fears, hope, suffering. The story is told from view points of a doctor , a hotel manager, a journalist , a priest , a municipal employee and a criminal. Their lives clash as they work together and help each other to fight the disease but with different motivations and expectations. The novel captures the changing psyche of individuals and groups under existential threat. This is a most profound and philosophical work . It ponders on deep questions - what is love ? what is morality ? What is bravery ? what is faith ? Even, what is dignity ? - when the disease overwhelms the town, the dead are just thrown into lime-pits - ring a bell ?

This book is tough to read - the language is intense ; yet one is fascinated not to give up . The book is 270 pages of deep introspection on the human condition. It is amazing that I can see very similar patterns of behaviour and thinking in individuals and at societal level in our present convid crisis. Shows humans have not changed behaviourally or psychologically - we have just become more sophisticated Technologically.

A concise book containing three HBR articles from Daniel Goleman, the guru of Emotional Intelligence. The three articles are

1. What makes a leader ? : This article covers elements of Emotional Intelligence & how they impact leadership. The elements & their relevance covered are Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Empathy, Motivation & Social intelligence. A great introduction to Emotional Intelligence & why it matters in becoming a great leader.

2. The Focussed Leader: This addresses three kinds of focus every leader needs - towards himself/herself , towards others & towards external environment. How the the triad of awareness ( focus) is essential & balanced “because a failure to focus inward leaves you rudderless, a failure to focus on others renders you clueless, & a failure to focus outward may leave you blindsided”. Needless to say, developing these focus behaviours depend on the emotional intelligence components.

3. Leadership that gets results : This article, following the above two, nicely rounds off the leadership agenda - getting results . It talks of six styles of leadership- Coercive, Authoritative, Affiliative, Pacesetting, Democratic and Coaching. A good leader adopts multiple styles as per the context. The pluses & minuses of each style & its applicable context is described. Needless to say, these styles demand one or more of Emotional Intelligence components.

Though a small book.. only 180 pages of pocketbook size, it is packed with thought provoking matter. This should on the desk of every leader and in the bag of every leadership coach.

“Triggers” by Marshall Goldsmith is a very insightful book for anyone who wants to know about carrying out behavioural change. The key premise is that the biggest risks to our unwanted behaviour comes from our dynamic environment which “triggers” our behaviour in various ways. The idea is to forecast your environment, identify the triggers & their probable impact then decide to anticipate, avoid or engage them . We do this well for certain high risk situations e.g. meeting with Customers, Negotiation of a big contract etc. We prepare well for such cases & actually create the environment. However, in most other times, We tend to relax about the environment whereby are at its mercy. The other aspect is that each of us has two selfs - Planner & Doer. The Planner assumes the Doer will execute perfectly but we are good planners but poor Doers. As each day progresses, fatigue sets in and the doer deviates from the plan more & more.

The book provides useful tools, structure , processes & frameworks to carry out behaviour changes. The wheel of change, Circle of Engagement, Active questions & AIWATT are some of the tools. Simple to understand & powerful in use.

Great book for Coaches as well as People leaders.

It is necessary for leaders to understand that there is fine “missing link” between being a High Performer and being considered fit for a seat at the Table. This missing link is Executive Presence (EP) . This critical leadership trait is one of the toughest to give or take feedback and this book addresses both elements. Quite often, many of us think Charisma, God given good looks & other natural abilities make that cut easily. There are many examples that reinforce this misconception. This book asserts that EP can be built , given that you are already high performer .

The author breaks down EP unto three components - Gravitas (how you act) , Communication (how you speak) and Appearance (how you look) . Each of this is further broken down to four or five elements in each category. Lots of examples & advise is provided too - Dos and Don'ts to help you build your EP.

The book is written from US perspective & the author clearly highlights & addresses the different standards & challenges faced by Minorities & Women in this space. I find it applicable globally. A good practical book that is easy to read & will add Value!!

This book is for every leader and especially successful leaders because, as the author says, more successful you are, the chances are more blind spots and misconceptions you will have about yourself. You will believe that you are doing everything right and the success will continue . the seeds of failure are sown by success .

There are two ways of reading this book.

You can read it in a detached way like a self help book.You will understand the concepts and suggestions to transform yourself . You will certainly be more knowledgeable as you finish. You will definitely pick up ideas to become a better professional or a person.

Or, you can do what I call “empathetic” reading . You consider the book to be a mirror that shows all people in your personal & professional life, including you. This is a tougher, slower reading where you pause & reflect ( pun intended 🙂) . You will be able to pick and choose few key personal areas & implement the corresponding tools to to make the change .. it’s very powerful in that way.

Bottom line : Everyone needs to read this book... earlier the better & for people like me, better late than never !!!

One can argue that humans practised some form of Goals since dawn of civilisation so what’s great about this book that is all about Goals ? First of all, this book describes a methodology called OKRs ( Objectives & Key Results) that is used at Intel, Google, YouTube, Gates Foundation & startup’s like Coursera . We have Bill Gates, Sundar Pichai talking of how they used OKRs to achieve BHAG goals - e.g. Reach one billion hours per day of viewing time on YouTube , become market leader in microprocessors in 12 months etc. Truly, the case studies are about using the method to engage, energise, motivate teams & individuals to achieve aspirational Goals. Every leader can adopt this irrespective of the existing Performance Mgmt System. The method is not about deciding rating or compensation but about alignment & execution excellence. It addresses both aspirational goals and commitment goals.

The process is proven in a high tech fast changing marketplace as seen by the examples & so should work anywhere. It demands transparency, openness & risk taking from top downwards . It connects vertically & horizontally. What’s more, it’s light weight.

Being dynamic, OKRs allow the teams to change or pivot based on market feedback.

In summary, we have in OKRs a process to excel in execution, innovate at scale & build capabilities for the future by putting the contributors at the front and centre of the process & a clear goal set that links the organisation.

Socrates famously said “ A unexamined life is not worth living “. He meant that each of us need to examine our purpose in life . VP Menon has done so splendidly by identifying, fighting for, and contributing to the life of a billion Indians in a unique way. Narayani Basu examines his life as his biographer and brings to light the sheer magnitude of the Herculean task he performed successfully.

For me, VP’s story has all the stages of Maslow’s hierarchy. He inserted himself at the bottom by running away from home at a young age and ended it in self-actualising his potential.

He was a multi-faceted person .. a strategic thinker, man of action, a loyal public servant, a humble man. He stood for his values , faced racism but won over three viceroys. He worked shoulder to shoulder with giants who shaped our Nation. He was , in the ultimate analysis, a Patriot and a real Bharat Ratna.

The book is a fascinating read. I loved the footnotes as well.. some of them give the stories behind the story!!

Five stars rating is too little this novel. It is a work of pure genius . The original work is in Hindi - published in 1968- but I read the beautifully translated English version that loses none of the nuances of the original language. Tons of praise has been already showered on this book ; every bit well deserved. It has won the Sahitya Academy award . The novel is regarded as one of all time classics of Hindi literature. It is certainly on one of the best satires I have read.

This is one of the best satires you can come across on the Indian village life and the attitude of Govt towards villages and their development in the sixties . One might even say nothing has changed significantly since then.

The novel is set in a imaginary village “Shivpalganj” and revolves around memorable characters in it . The village and its residents is the microcosm of dynamics of the Nation. Every complexity of Indian life is dealt with hilariously - caste, class, judiciary, education system, welfare schemes , hygiene , healthcare, intellectuals, elections , Religion , Police and, of course , Politics and Corruption . The Indian psyche is at the center of all this and we can relate to it !!! It is so beautifully analysed . You laugh and laugh at the metaphors and similes . Parts drip with sarcasm and mock our hypocrisy as a society .

I have not laughed so much in recent times . But the underlying message is deadly serious. Must read for all !!

This is one of the best books that I have read on the 18th century state of anarchy that prevailed in the Country. The book also has very current messages about power of Corporations and what they can do to weak States. Already we know the social political influences big Corporations exert today both on personal lives and public & political institutions - especially the big social media giants.

Ironically, the first Indian word to enter the English lexicon was “Loot”.

The story of East India Company is a classic case study. Imagine this happened 400 years ago & such practices of influencing & wielding extra constitutional powers are subtly present today !! Truly, only technology has changed over the centuries, human psychology, greed and mass manipulation has not .

The book itself highlights the political & military strategies adopted by Mughals, Marathas , French & the English . They collude and fight against each other at different times without any shame whatsoever. The central figure is the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam who was a pawn all his life to these powers but, paradoxically, the only sovereign emperor in the eyes of the common people !!

The author pulls off the impossible with elan !! We can see the big picture of wars, strategic moves & the changing political face of India from 1601 to 1875. We also get close up, personal stories of key figures such as Clive, Hastings, Tipu Sultan, Hyder Ali, Afghan war lords , Scindia, Holkars, Peshwa & of course under the overshadow of Shah Alam. The plight of soldiers & common people is also brought out in stark reality .

Overall, a moving book about savagery & greed of humans in their quest for power.

A well written book - precise and fast paced . In just 176 pages, tells the story of the greatest king of south India in the 16 the century. While all of us have come across the name of Krishnadeva raya in our school history books, for me he was shrouded in mystery .

The book is a must read for anyone interested in Indian history. The author manages to capture both the man and the king. The book also busts the myth that in those days the wars were fought along religious divides ( Manu Pillai too points this out in his excellent work - the rebel sultans). It was all a matter of politics and power play and alliances were made and broken accordingly without any other consideration.

I have seen Krishnadevaraya’s image in Tirupati many times but it did not register any emotion ... look forward to seeing him again and also visit the magnificent ruins of Vijayanagara at Hampi !! I did Google all the images as I was reading the book.

It is not everyday that you can come across such a delightfully witty book. R K Narayan’s writing is “calming” - simple , straight and profound !!

Reading RK Narayan is like floating lazily, with sun in your face , in a swimming pool ; gently rocked by ripples with RKN sitting on the edge with his legs dipped in the water talking to you, smiling often with a twinkle in his eyes. RK's writing is like PG Wodehouse's - the same gentle, inoffensive, tongue-in-cheek humour.

This book is a collection of essays on just about everything around us. The articles span four decades 1950s to 1990s and appeared in newspapers then. It is like the iconic common-man of RK Laxman speaking out his views from Crowds to Headache to Coffee to Elections to Monkeys to Writers !! There is also RK Narayan’s dairy of his extended tour of the US when he wrote “the Guide” while staying in a hotel in Berkeley .

A must read , if you love humour and wit !!! 517 pages that read like butter and one feels the book is short !!

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