Labonya Porva, mother of the author Subroto Bagchi told him to “Go kiss the World”, and that is exactly what he did. A story of a small town son of a government officer making it big, “Go Kiss the World” is sprinkled with gems of wisdom, albeit carefully strewn so as not to make the book too heavy in jargon or fundas.
The book is the story of an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. The writing style is energetic and straight from the heart. One cannot help but live Subroto’s life along with him during the course of the narrative; from the material simplicity of his upbringing in interior Orissa, through the swerves and curves of his professional career and finally the enriching experience of creating MindTree, one of India’s Top IT companies. Along the way Subroto sprinkles his narratives with meaningful takeaways. Like nuts in a chocolate bar, they enhance the overall flavor of the book without dominating its easygoing tone. The author switches from the abstractly philosophical (“our lives are like rivers – the source seldom reveals the confluence”), to the tangibly businesslike (“…That rapid growth had to be managed carefully because, as Peter Drucker has said, all growth can be inherently destructive”) with natural ease.
However, the discerning reader might detect a simplistic approach to the writing. It seems that all the experiences passed the author by, with decisions taken and paths changed at the appropriate time without much effort. Some incidents, like when the author was setting up MindTree’s US office in the early days lack the intensity of struggle and the associated pressure. These emotions and the atmosphere which could have defined the outcome, as well as its influence in the author’s life are missing from the narrative.
For young working professionals, the book has parts which will appeal to those at various stages of their careers. The ones struggling to find their foothold can take heart in the thought that everyone faces crossroads in their lives. The important thing is to make the right decision at each crossroad. The ones who have their dream job and consider themselves arrived in the corporate scene may not be surprised if what they valued today suddenly seems immaterial tomorrow. The book ends with a chapter summarizing key points - a useful trend followed by most non-fiction/business oriented books today.
All in all, an enjoyable read. As you close the book on its last page you are left with the fleeting impression that success is not uni-dimensional, it has layers and is defined by the person who is experiencing it. Then again, all success stories have happy endings. Maybe that is why most of them become books.
The book is the story of an ordinary man who led an extraordinary life. The writing style is energetic and straight from the heart. One cannot help but live Subroto’s life along with him during the course of the narrative; from the material simplicity of his upbringing in interior Orissa, through the swerves and curves of his professional career and finally the enriching experience of creating MindTree, one of India’s Top IT companies. Along the way Subroto sprinkles his narratives with meaningful takeaways. Like nuts in a chocolate bar, they enhance the overall flavor of the book without dominating its easygoing tone. The author switches from the abstractly philosophical (“our lives are like rivers – the source seldom reveals the confluence”), to the tangibly businesslike (“…That rapid growth had to be managed carefully because, as Peter Drucker has said, all growth can be inherently destructive”) with natural ease.
However, the discerning reader might detect a simplistic approach to the writing. It seems that all the experiences passed the author by, with decisions taken and paths changed at the appropriate time without much effort. Some incidents, like when the author was setting up MindTree’s US office in the early days lack the intensity of struggle and the associated pressure. These emotions and the atmosphere which could have defined the outcome, as well as its influence in the author’s life are missing from the narrative.
For young working professionals, the book has parts which will appeal to those at various stages of their careers. The ones struggling to find their foothold can take heart in the thought that everyone faces crossroads in their lives. The important thing is to make the right decision at each crossroad. The ones who have their dream job and consider themselves arrived in the corporate scene may not be surprised if what they valued today suddenly seems immaterial tomorrow. The book ends with a chapter summarizing key points - a useful trend followed by most non-fiction/business oriented books today.
All in all, an enjoyable read. As you close the book on its last page you are left with the fleeting impression that success is not uni-dimensional, it has layers and is defined by the person who is experiencing it. Then again, all success stories have happy endings. Maybe that is why most of them become books.
