This book is about the journey of a village boy born in a young India, recently free from foreign rule. It is about his hard work, his mind constantly buzzing with ideas and his dreams. The same can be said of any boy growing up but what sets apart the author is his never say die spirit, his hunger for success, his passion for his work, to be the best and his ability to live his dreams. The autobiography is a celebration of his free minded and entrepreneurial spirit.
The author begins the narration about his carefree childhood days spent in a village by a river which he adored. His family lived frugally and his school teacher father instilled in him a love for books specially the classics. His parents gave him the freedom to explore life without the pressures of academic performance and instilled in him a love for literature, virtues of generosity and sharing and caring for others.
He shows his spirit of adventure in the manner by which he joined a Sainik school and later the Army. His determination to be the best comes out in his performance in NDA and IMA and the lessons on honour and leadership that he learnt there has guided him in every activity he took up later in life.
He has clearly articulated his reasons for leaving the army where after some time his restless nature and the need to do different things rebelled against the regimented life in the army. His childhood spent in a village was one of the reasons why his first endeavor after leaving the army was to become a farmer. Here too he showed the qualities that sets him apart. He worked hard, was not afraid to try new farming methods, learnt from experience and experienced persons and most importantly he relied on the traditional methods and tried the more modern and scientific techniques only where necessary. His mantras like "Less farming is good farming" and "If something is not ecologically sound, it is not economically viable" can be applied to any business or walk of life. These were his secrets to his success as a farmer.
His buzzing mind also enabled him to try his hand in other varied businesses like motor cycle dealership, stock broking etc. What is common amongst all his business ventures is his ability for hard work and resultant success.
One could say that his single failure was his stint in politics. Here too he worked hard and tried innovative ways to canvass for votes and help the citizens on civic issues. The anecdotes in this phase of his life, his views on the politics of the day and politicians make for interesting reading. He has been very frank in his views on personalities and the incidents of the day - be they in politics or earlier in the Army during the Bangladesh Liberation war.
The major portion of the book is devoted to his venture into aviation and appropriately so. While his success in farming would have given him personal joy, his pioneering success in making low cost aviation viable to the common man would have given him immense personal and professional satisfaction. His contribution has put India as one of the hot destinations for the business community in this field. The heartwarming stories like getting the first customer and the 2 young Indians who wanted to fulfill their parents dream of flying give life to his narration. Detailed accounts of his trials, tribulations and efforts in setting up the helicopter charter business, making it a success and setting up the low cost airline should act as a guide to every new entrepreneur worldwide. The most crucial aspect in these ventures was how he set deadlines and then worked backwards. Many a time the agility and innovation shown to tackle unexpected obstacles are examples of thinking on one's feet. Instances of the government and the bureaucracy's ability to help as well as create obstacles only prove the tough environment in which the author made his ventures successful.
While the author had grown his airline business using innovative ideas, his stubbornness, trusting the wrong persons, ineffective dealing of operational issues, and biting more than he could chew led to a quick and dramatic fall. He had no option to sell out and the circumstances leading to the sale make for interesting reading and a lesson to all entrepreneurs on the pitfalls to avoid.
Overall the book makes for compelling narrative. However, there a few jarring notes. The book is all about the author, his dreams, ideas, trials etc., with no detailed mention of the other people in his journey and their contribution. Passing mentions are made but it is difficult to expect that his family/friends/business associates had no major roles. He mentioned that he doesn't believe in caste. But there are many instances when he introduces people in the book bringing in their caste etc. He considers himself an agnostic, but there are at least 3 instances wherein he mentions how he circumambulated temples while flying. This creates a dissonance.
A reader of the book will understand the authors' love for literature, his passions, dreams, extreme hard work, his ability to rise from his failures and the varied and exciting adventure that he has had in his life. The reader is able to go with the flow of the author due to the easy narrative style of the book. A good read.
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