The Ride of a Lifetime, Robert Iger, 2019

Rating: 5/5

When I picked up the book, I wondered what my expectations from it were. I was not very familiar with the Disney story so insights into it would help. I would have liked a candid discussion of various issues that Disney has faced over the years, those which were not in the public domain. Like any memoir, one would expect to get insights into the person behind the story. And finally, a book like this should carry some business lessons. The book satisfies these expectations well, though some more than others.

The book is divided into 2 parts: the first one leads to his ascension to the top job at Disney and the second talks about his leadership years. It is thoughtful in parts, provides leadership lessons in others and is downright exciting in some, especially around the run-up to the acquisitions of Pixar or the creation of the Black Panther movie, which many thought was a bad idea because of the lead superhero being black. There are even the poignant parts, especially his relationship with Steve Jobs.  Even as you get to know Iger the successful CEO well, he does occassionally provide insights into himself including his thoughts behind a possible run for the US President. Iger walks the fine line between being too humble about his achievements and glossing over his failures — “finding that balance between accepting credit and not making too much of the hype”, as he puts it. At one place, he talks about feeling guilty in front of his colleagues when attention and credit is directed towards him, and that is particularly endearing.

For readers looking to take away some leadership lessons, Iger provides his 10 lessons at the outset: optimism, courage, focus, decisiveness, curiosity, fairness, thoughtfulness, authenticity, perfection and integrity. And at the end, he also lists down in one place all the various business lessons strewn throughout the book.

There are a few aspects of his story that are missing though, for example, his initial rise from a lowly level at ABC (it's completely omitted for some reason) or the pressures of his job on his personal life — he covers the separation from his first wife in just a couple of lines. Iger does say, though, that this book is not a memoir and as the title suggests, it’s more about business lessons. I would disagree though — given the profile of the writer, that distinction will blur. The book is a fairly short one and a few more pages would have been more satisfying. Also, it's a pity that the book was written in 2019 — it misses out on the biggest challenge that Disney may have ever faced ... that of the corona virus!

Pros: Insights into the Disney story and into himself, useful leadership lessons

Cons: Some important aspects of his story have been omitted

Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don't Make Sense, Rory Sutherland, 2019

Rating: 5/5

Rory Sutherland is the vice-chairman of Ogilvy UK and uses his vast experience and trove of interesting anecdotes to put together a book on how irrational thinking often works better, which is interesting even for a logical thinking reader such as me. Right at the outset, Sutherland lists downs his 11 rules of alchemy. These are basically all variations of each other and Rule #6 encapsulates the direction that the book will take: The problem with logic is that it kills off magic.

Sutherland's basic premise is that rational analysis is based on big data that comes from the past and cannot account for an unexpected event. Which is why irrational thinking creates alchemy. Also, humans do not behave rationally all the time. Why else would perfectly sane people pay $5 for a drink that they can make for pennies at home (Starbucks) or why would a coarse uncomfortable fabric that takes ages to dry and popular with labourers become fashionable (jeans)? He gathers his argument in six well-structured sections and then follows that up with a seventh where he lays out his recommendations. While a large part of what he writes is related to the advertising or marketing fields in some way or the other, he has used examples from other areas as well to buttress his arguments.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book are the various anecdotes strewn through it such as the one on Red Bull's success (it was expensive, came in a tiny can and had a disgusting taste as per consumer trials, all counterintuitive to a successful launch) or the story of striped toothpaste (it mixes in your mouth anyway but signals to the user that it fulfils two functions) or how mailer donation campaigns work better if the return envelope has the flap on the shorter side (as it seems more appropriate to slip a cheque in).

The book is not without its problems. In his desire to hammer down the key argument of the book, Sutherland makes it completely one-sided. In the process, he pooh-poohs economists and logical thinkers several times in the book which can be somewhat off-putting. Having said that, the breezy style of writing and some fascinating insights coupled with interesting stories make this a worthwhile read. The various footnotes in each chapter, by themselves, would make compelling reading!

Pros: Fascinating anecdotes, compelling arguments

Cons: The constant putting down of logic is somewhat off-putting

The Guest List, Lucy Foley, 2020

Rating: 5/5

While choosing this book, I came across a few descriptions that compared this book to those by Agatha Christie. This book, however, is no classic murder mystery; in fact, the identity of the victim is revealed only 90% into the book. What this book is, though, is a very good psychological thriller!

A reality show star, Will, and an online publishing celebrity, Jules, host their wedding on a remote Irish island that is beautiful and eerie in turn. The presence of the cormorant birds on the island, a harbinger of evil and death as per folklore, quickly indicate the direction that the book will take. The main cast of characters also include Will's best man Johnno, Jules' best friend Charles and his wife Hannah, Jules' half-sister Olivia, the event manager Aoife and her husband Freddy, and an assortment of family and friends. As the book progresses, it becomes clear that most of the characters harbour dark secrets, and these are revealed slowly, layer by layer, leading to the climatic revelations.

I do not consider most murder mysteries, including those of Agatha Christie, as particularly well-written -- after all, the focus is on the mystery rather than on the writing. However, The Guest List is a notable exception. Foley writes very well and has a nice turn of phrase. At the same time, her writing is very easy to follow so that the reader can spend her energy in thinking about the various characters and their secrets, rather than in keeping pace with the story. The construct of the book is interesting with the events of the wedding evening narrated in the third person interspersed with those of earlier in the day and of the preceding evening narrated in the first person by Aoife, Hannah, Jules, Johnno, and Olivia. The story is told in the present tense throughout, and this along with the vivid descriptions, makes it extremely immersive for the reader.

The pace is languid but at no time will the reader's interest flag -- the slow peeling of the finer details and the interesting psychological studies of the various characters ensure that. The only fault to find, if any, is that some of the standard tropes of a murder mystery have been used, enabling us to guess the identity of the victim and the perpetrator as we progress through the book. But that does not detract from the enjoyment of reading it one bit!

Pros: Extremely well written, interesting construct, unputdownable

Cons: Somewhat predictable before the end

Tata vs Mistry, Deepali Gupta, 2019

Rating: 4/5

While this book is strictly for those familiar with the boardroom battles between Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry, and will likely not engage others, it's a comprehensive and pain-staking compilation of what transpired during that period.

Ratan Tata had chosen Cyrus Mistry to succeed him in December 2012 as the first non-Tata chairperson of the vast Tata conglomerate but fired him in October 2016, even before his first term was complete, due to a significant fall-out between them.  This book covers the events leading to the fall-out and subsequent ones, leading eventually to the court cases, the coverage is comprehensive and in 20 succint chapters (although the chapter titles towards the end could have been a little less juvenile). Gupta is a financial journalist and her writing style, which is easy and fluid, is especially suited for the book.

Gupta has cast herself in the role of a narrator of facts and does not attempt to superimpose her own views on them -- given her profession, it is likely that she may not have wanted to be seen to take sides. Reading between the lines, this fight has been positioned as one between a professional who coldly evaluates the businesses (Mistry) and a Tata with an emotional connect to the brand who is probably driven by his individual passions too. The former is focused on immediate gains to minority shareholders while the latter cares about the long-term impact on the brand. It is tough to conclude who is right from the narrative, and that is probably Gupta's objective as well.

While picking up a book of this nature, one would expect some "insider" insights or even some credible gossip. That, sadly, is missing for the most part. So, for a reader like me, who was closely following the events, there is not much new to learn. But I would still give it 4 stars for the comprehensive coverage of events and I would recommend this book to any reader who has a basic familiarity with this saga but is unaware of the details.

Pros: Well-written, painstakingly compiled, a solid overview of this saga

Cons: No new information for one who had closely followed the events, will not engage a reader completely unfamiliar with them

The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion, 2013

Rating: 5/5

I enjoy the occasional romcom movie but I'm not a fan of this genre as far as books are concerned. The Rosie Project, the first of a trilogy, is a notable exception, however. It's a delightful read, funny and bitter-sweet.

The book's opening line, "I may have found the solution to the Wife Problem" is the perfect opening to this heart-warming tale. Don Tillman, who has Asperger's Syndrome, is a 39-year old genetics professor at a reputed Australian University and embarks on a project to find a wife (the Wife Project) with the aid of a sixteen-page questionnaire. In the process, he meets Rosie Jarman, poles apart from himself, who would probably score a zero on his questionnaire and who upends his life. Don and Rosie start spending time together, and despite their misgivings, get attracted towards each other. On the way, Don embarks on the Father Project where he helps Rosie in finding her biological father among 44 doctors in her mother's medical class. He has just two close friends, womanising Gene and his psychologist wife Claudia, who guide him along the way. The book is narrated in the first person, and there are clear differences between Don's version of events and how they actually transpire. This makes the book even more endearing.

The book is not without its drawbacks. While the book does talk about the challenges faced by Don with his parents, during his childhood and in social settings, it does not really delve into the difficulties faced by a person with Asperger's. Consequently, a reader with a near one with Asperger's could view the book as a trivialisation. Such a reader should be willing to overlook that aspect to enjoy this book -- it's a romcom after all. Also, the book becomes somewhat soppy towards the end. But given the overall breeziness of the book, I was willing to overlook it.

Simpsion was an information systems consultant with a PhD in data modelling and had co-authored a book on that subject. That background makes The Rosie Project even more remarkable. Overall, it's a feel-good book that leaves you with a smile on your lips, perfect for the current Covid-related environment or for any other time for that matter. An interesting sidenote is that Don Tillman now has his own Twitter account, @ProfDonTillman.

Pros: Heart-warming and feel-good, funny, a very easy read

Cons: Some may consider this a trivialisation of Asperger's, a bit soppy at the end

Being Mortal, Atul Gawande, 2014

Rating: 5/5

I must admit I approached this book with some trepidation -- this book has been hyped up quite a bit, is written by a practicing surgeon and is about aging and terminal illnesses, mundane topics. But was I incredibly and pleasantly surprised! This book is one of the most useful books that I have read and is remarkable from beginning to end.

Gawande starts off by making the point that unlike in the past, when death was sudden, there is now a prolonged period of aging and the inexorable decay of the body and faculties. He wonders how we reached a situation where the only option for the elderly is to get "institutionalised" and lose control of their lives. The book essentially focuses on the issues with the current medical approach towards terminal illnesses, especially of older people, and towards aging. As Gawande puts it, this approach concentrates on repair of health, even if it means just slightly prolonging the inevitable and tremendously increasing the pain, rather than on the sustenance of the soul. And this sustenance may mean different things for different people -- as one of his patients says, "the best thing in your life is when you can go yourself to the bathroom".

One of the things that I liked about the book was its prescriptive nature -- it does not stop at just laying out the trouble with modern medical care. With real examples, he details what medical practitioners can do to overcome the above issues, and more importantly, what individuals can and should do when grappling with their own aging or that of their loved ones. Ultimately, the job of medicine is not to ensure health and survival but to enable well-being. And in this context, it is important to have difficult conversations and also knowing when to let go.

This is the first book that I have read of Gawande and found him to be an impressive writer. The book is a fascinating and easy read despite the seriousness of the subject, and he has filled the book with personal anecdotes that are immensely relatable to. His brave description of his father's last days, who himself was a medical practitioner, add to the credibility of his arguments and enhance our learnings too. Parts of the book can be a bit depressing given an element of morbidness but I would strongly recommend this to any reader, whether she is elderly herself, has aging parents, or even otherwise.

Pros: Superbly written, tremendously useful for everyone

Cons: Slightly depressing perhaps

Recursion, Blake Crouch, 2019

Rating: 4/5

I love good mind-bending, time-turning stories, movies such as Inception and Interstellar for example. And for the most part, Recursion does not disappoint.

The book begins with great promise -- NYPD detective Barry Sutton is called to prevent a possible suicide by a woman suffering from FMS or False Memory Syndrome, an affliction in which the person suddenly wakes up one day with extremely detailed memories of an alternate life that she has led. The extreme vividness of those memories and the conflict with memories of the current life can often drive a person insane. The second chapter, set about 11 years earlier, features Stanford neuroscientist Helena Smith, whose sole mission in life is to find a possible cure for Alzeimer's that he mother suffers from. And there is billionaire visionary entrepreneur Marcus Slade, who employs Helena with the promise of changing the world.

As the plot unfolds, we learn about the demons plaguing the minds of Barry and Helena -- Barry struggles with coming to terms with his daughter's death (an event that he blames himself for) and the subsequent break-up of his marriage while Helena is consumed with making her mother's life better. Barry can't get the FMS suicide off his mind and sets to explore that. Meanwhile, Marcus Slade appears to have his own motivations for hiring Helena and it becomes clear that he will go to any length to achieve them.

The book moves along at breakneck speed with key elements of the plot being revealed within the first 100 pages. But, after that, as the book stretches to its 300+ page length, parts of it seem repetitive and new plot elements make the book somewhat bewildering. I give 5/5 for the first half of the book and 3/5 for the second. The other issue is that time manipulation is always a tricky subject. At one point in the book, Barry is told that "time is an illusion, a construct made of human memory ... there's no such thing as the past, present, or the future". Barry finds it difficult to process it and so did I at the end of the book. But with books or movie of this genre, one needs to accept this inherent issue and enjoy the ride!

Pros: Unique and fascinating plot, page-turner

Cons: Repetitive at times, unresolved plot points inherent in this genre