Reflections

This is   a book that some of the biggest names in the country have rated very highly; and yet, it is also a book that I just could not connect to, for specific reasons outlined in the review. Cutting The Gordian Knot is a book penned by – and reviewed by – some of the best talent in our country; that is true. It is also a book with zero ground connect, a book of dreams, a book of tall ideas – some practical, fewer practicable, and some not so practical. Practical implies useful, capable of being put into effect; while practicable means feasible as well as usable. That sums up the book . Practical – for sure. Practicable? No way. Comprehensive? No . It misses several vital aspects. THE GORDIAN KNOT The Gordian Knot means a difficult problem; the book is aptly named – it looks at some of the most difficult problems confronting our nation, our people at the current point in time. It looks at the state of Education, Employment, Employability, Entreneurship, Upscaling,...

I was enjoying my morning read of the Business Standard, when my eye fell upon a story – Facebook and Google helpedanti-Refugee campaign in Swing States, Business Standard, Friday 20thOctober . I  noticed this story, and marked it for later contemplation. The recent saga over Twitter usage by  Indian Politicians brought my mind back to this story – and its many implications. While the ethical & moral implications are also present – but most vital is the implication of this, and similar happenings we may or may not be aware of, for us the people as well as for democracy. Image Credit - Google Search It is one thing for a politician to openly come on Social Media – quite a few have done it quite successfully; they lay their views, attitudes, national plans, ideals, problems etc – like one Indian Politician. Others use Facebook, and especially  Twitter in their own names to further their own views etc. There is nothing wrong with that – in fact, that is act...

The title of this article just about says it all… The Facebook Issue . This article is coming after a long self-examination and Facebook feed examination, with the explicit purpose of putting Facebook and its contemporary utility in Social Media with relevance to me as an individual. This deep introspective examination has lead to startling revelations to myself, which is what I am attempting place here, with an intent to support my decision to move my Social Media content away from Facebook due to issues arising out of the feed and the interaction that happens on it. MY HISTORY WITH FACEBOOK But first, the background. I came onto Facebook as a means to get in daily touch with family, find old friends, and keep connected with them. It then grew into a method of chronicling important events in my life through Photographs & Posts, that I could visit later. Both the above have given excellent results, and shall continue as important aspects of my digital profile with added sec...

The Google Story is a business case study, a lesson for all managers. It is a book that ought to be required reading in Management Classes everywhere. This is the story of  an organisation’s growth from start-up status to world leadership. It is the story that tells the virtues of sticking to basic business principles and fundamentals, almost to the exclusion of all else. It is a story of how you can still have values, and yet do good business. And it is also the story of how, in crunch times, these same values can be stretched to the point of breaking. This is a book that should be required reading not just for Business Managers – but also for politicians, especially those in the Commerce Education, and Finance Ministries; and for educationists in technical colleges. This book, taken in the right spirit, is a standing lesson, an exemplar, for something I have pointed out earlier as well – deeper college-industry linkages, which can eventually help unlock potential, and gi...

MORE NEWS IS GOOD NEWS UNTOLD STORIES FROM 25 YEARS OF TELEVISION NEWS T he current book under review is from NDTV,  in part a chronicle of its 25 years journey so far, and in part a telling series of stories from these 25 years, ones that bring us face to face with many queries, questions, hard truths, uncomfortable realities as well as stories from under-represented genres. This book is also a management case study – albeit a rather longish one, one that I would recommend each and every person in Industry anywhere in the world read. This is, to top it all off, a standing lesson in the trendlines in the Media, as well as the how these developed over time, making it a powerful value addition to anyone in sales and marketing! The collection of stories is tastefully done, and with strategic thought; you get a lovely read, one that triggers your mind into questions, realizations, learnings, entertainment and fun all in the same volume, making it a true rarity. Th...