If God was a Banker - ambition & ethics

Keeping aside the paranoia that has gripped my worklife off late; I picked up a book few days back which I had planned to read for a long time. After having finished reading, must say I am enthralled, for “If God was a Banker” is not only engrossing but keeps you hooked from the start. Though the author is an IIM grad (not again), but the flow & imagination bears the hallmark of a professional writer.

The storyline captures lives of two B School grads who join the same organization - New York International Bank-together, with both – Sundeep & Swami – being extreme contrasts of each other. One is flamboyant & go-getter with scant regard for ethics & morals, while the other equally good performer is highly scrupulous. The honest guy manages to snatch & marry the hottie who joined along with them, which offends the other guy so much that all time he is behind to kick dirt on his rival. What makes the read interesting & captivating is the behind-the-scenes corporate sleaze & the influence of wheeler dealers in many corporate decisions. The storyline traces loss of innocence when decision making powers come into play & when moral temptations become too hard to ignore.

The use of call girls in the storyline has been extensive & even managers are sleeping around to get better deals. I am aware of corporates supplying girls (whores, models, actresses – whosoever wants to make quick money) but sleeping as a necessary promotional qualification comes as a surprise. True many do sleep around in office, but its frequency is a real surprise for a novice like me.

The story ends with a corporate spy flying from US & discreetly meeting many females affected & hit by this predator friend, who is finally exposed when confronted by all the hard evidence of sleaze & corruption. The story spans across decades & different geographies & gives an insiders account of competitive international banking. What sets apart this one apart is the racy narrative coupled with the spicy behind-the-scenes deals & the cut throat competition that marks present day corporate struggle & stress.

A must read for anyone debating ambition & ethics

Mixology – my new read

Few days back I picked up a book from Spencers, perhaps not because I actually wanted to read it, but the dirt cheap price on offer was too tempting to resist. Moreover the credentials attached were all too inviting, the author being an IIM alumnus & the title of the read an unusual & catchy one “The Funda of Mixology”. After having finished reading it, I don’t find it all too bad & perhaps a bit different from the usual short novels being churned out by new brigade of bloggers turned authors.

The story begins by tracing the life of a bachelor working in corporate in Mumbai, he describes himself as a corporate dweller by day & pursuing other pursuits after his work day. The life showcased is typical of what many of my generation go through or rather are going through - bachelor life encompassing a mixture of booze, friends, stinking boss, pubbing etc but perhaps no life outside the rat race. This is the dilemma which the author also faces, for he dreams to be ‘someone’ one day & not get lost behind another business card; fulfill secretly harbored aspirations, which perhaps get lost in the daily grind of his life. The narration takes a twist when our friend meets with an accident after a late night party & wakes up in the other world. He meets angels & demons, drinks magic potions, and goes through individual record books of human lives. Since he has been accidentally brought up when he had few more years to live, he is to be promptly shipped back; however before that he gets to do some future gazing of his own life.

The novel then goes on to showcase his alternate lives one-by-one, each having something of what he ever wanted to be, but also having some flaws which he never bargained for. In one life he is shown as a famous author but with no family & no personal life, leading a desolate, reclusive life; in one he is shown as a corporate honcho having given up all aspirations of being an author; in another his wife deserts him for ever & he is left with almost no possession of his own & in the last he is shown as dying of cancer. When he wakes up in his real life he is himself not sure of what he wants to do in his remaining existence since contentment, fame, health seem all distant with himself not sure of which one to attain and which one to sacrifice. However he now learns that life is all about mixing up all ingredients & live a heady cocktail of life.

Perhaps the message behind the work is not be too engrossed in mad rush of modern-day metro living & as you go through life, take time out to smell the flowers. This is all the more relevant for my generation rat race youngsters, who have perhaps forgotten Grand Ma tales & have more friends on Facebook rather than playgrounds.

Do read if you get a copy, not a waste of discounted price at least!

Of course I love you...my latest read

My latest read has been a small book titled “Of course I love you…till I find someone better”. It is a young book written by two youngsters, both of whom started their corporate careers recently. The credits mention authors to be Durjoy Dutta – looks like a stud in photograph & Maanvi Ahuja – a hot, pretty thing. Apparently story of the novel is their own – the guy is a DCE pass out, while the chick has just come out of SRCC. The plot revolves around the main character – Deb, a young stud from a middle class service Bong family who is a lady killer in night & student of DCE during day. Infact he has been making out with so many females that he himself has lost count. The book details his sexcapades in different parts of Delhi, with him fucking innocent, college going classmates in middle of night at vintage locations of Central & South Delhi. His exploits continue till he meets a beauty of a female Avantika, who has a history of alcohol but is now sober & residing in SRCC hostel. They both fall for each other & their romance (& sex) continues. Also giving them company is a group of friends, having the usual characters you will find in a college gang, two punjabi studs, one nerd, one hot chick who mouths abuses liberally & also sleeps with anybody around.

How these youngsters managed to get the book published was because of some blog they used to write, which detailed out their sexcapades & caught attention of some publisher, amongst a large number of readers (wonder if my blog will ever get this fortune). Strange because they are very open & explicit about their sexual adventures & after reading, making out seems a very natural, normal thing to do in school & college. I am aware that youngsters in Delhi have very less inhibitions these days & many students do make out, visit prostitutes, shag together etc but never knew it was so open. I passed out from DU about six seven years back, but never came across such sluts being accepted as normal. True, girls were bold, especially Modernites, who discussed everything from their boob size to maximum length of my dick but no open physical invitation was ever given. In fact Hindu College hostel allowed girls to visit & many spent nights with their boyfriends, drank alcohol with them, saw porn together with group of classmates etc but that was that. Never, at least till I was there, was college & hostel ever a ground for abandoning moral inhibitions altogether & seeking new orgies every time.

Atleast one positive in the well written book is the depiction of Art of Living. Good to know that youngsters are taking this positive path more & more, & understanding self, life & universe, much like it has happened with me. AOL is perhaps the only savior of today’s lifestyles & helps make correct judgment in times of uncertain outcomes.

Well one thought which did crop after this read - If the adventures & open sex mentioned is all too real & happening now in Delhi, perhaps I was born a bit too soon!!