A Literary Wrap: 2019 Through Books
BloombergQuint speaks to the biggest names in the corporate, culinary and literary world on books that have shaped their outlook.
As the year draws to a close, BloombergQuint looks back at how books have influenced business leaders to make better decisions. India’s biggest names in the corporate, culinary and literary worlds talk about books that have shaped their outlook and believe that they must be read at least once. Their picks range genres like business, philosophy and literature.
Here’s a compilation curated throughout this year.
The Books That Inspire Former RBI Deputy Governor Viral Acharya
A “telling commentary on the totalitarianism prevalent during World War II”. Why economists need to focus on people and not only markets. These are some of the themes that have stayed with Viral Acharya.
Read more on his choicest book picks here
Women Leaders
Why Top Lawyer Menaka Guruswamy Is Hooked To Graphic Novels
The senior advocate of the Supreme Court of India spoke to BloombergQuint about her favourite reads. An unusual book has made it to the top of her list.
What book would it be? Click here to read
Women Leaders On Books That Shaped Their Success
- Award winning author and bestseller Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni talks of a book which taught her “how to bring alive emotions, so that readers will care”.
- Tessy Thomas, the first woman to lead missile teams in India, and director for the for the Agni IV and V intercontinental ballistic missiles, talks about books that inspired her, and a role model she has followed.
- Guneet Monga, who won an Oscar for her film ‘Period. End of Sentence’, talks of her favourite authors.
Read more about their book recommendations here.
From Tagore To Harper Lee, Here Are Arundhati Bhattacharya’s Favourite Reads
State Bank of India’s former Chairman, Arundhati Bhattacharya discusses her most cherised reads.
Read to get a peek into the bookshelf of SBI’s first woman chairperson.
Business Lessons Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw Adopted From Books
Here are the books Biocon’s Founder Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has learnt from and has been inspired by.
Read more here.
Why A Book On Sleep Has Caught Shikha Sharma’s Attention
Here’s why a book on sleep has caught the attention of Axis Bank’s former Chief Executive Officer Shikha Sharma.
From Peter Drucker To Theodore Levitt: A Look At Vinita Bali’s Essential Reading List
From understanding “discontinuous change” to stay relevant, to marketing intangible products: These are some of the themes that have stayed with Britannia’s former Managing Director Vinita Bali.
Read here to know more.
From CK Prahalad To CP Cavafy: Rama Bijapurkar On Her Favourite Reads
How can you wield the power of data and “make it sing”? Rama Bijapurkar has some answers, as she talks of books that change the way data is perceived.
Want to know more about the thought leader’s book choices? Read here.
Business And Management
D Shivakumar On Management Lessons Through Books
D Shivakumar, group executive president (corporate strategy and business), Aditya Birla Group, talks of management lessons through books.
Read to also find out why Robert Mc Namara is Shivakumar’s role model.
Fevicol’s Bharat Puri On Books That Have ‘Stuck’ With Him
Pidilite’s head Bharat Puri talks of a book that showed him the difference between a good and a great organisation, and why he ‘simply loves’ PG Wodehouse.
What else figures among Puri’s favourite reads apart from Bertie Wooster and his valet Jeeves?
Harsh Mariwala’s Management Talk Through Books
Passion by itself isn’t enough to succeed in business, according to Harsh Mariwala, the founder chairman of Marico, who lists books on grit, determination and strategy as his favourites.
Sounds gritty. Click here to read about them:
A Book That Helped Nestle’s Suresh Narayanan Tide Over The Maggi Crisis
Nestle India’s head Suresh Narayanan talks on leadership lessons from a book that helped him see through the Maggi cirsis.
What was it that helped Narayanan revive India’s two-minute snack? Read about it here:
What’s On The Bookshelves Of Kalyan Krishnamurthy And Deep Kalra
A 1943 literary classic that puts individualism ahead of collectivism is among the favourite books of Kalyan Krishnamurthy, chief executive officer at Flipkart Group, and Deep Kalra, founder of MakeMyTrip.
What are the e-commerce titans’ book preferences?
From Verghese Kurien To Abdul Kalam: Leadership Lessons From Amul Chief’s Reading List
What are the qualities of a leader? Empathy? Time management? Grit? A little of all these, according to RS Sodhi, head of Amul.
Without much ado, read to know more.
The Books Aditya Ghosh Draws His Inspiration From
Former IndiGo head Aditya Ghosh talks of how this book that he picked up just before assuming his operating role at India’s largest airline, helping him pilot business strategies.
What was this book?
Investors
Mark Mobius Swears By This Book On Investing
Why veteran investor Mark Mobius swears by this book on investing.
Read more here.
From Charles Lindbergh To Lee Kuan Yew: A Look At Ramesh Damani’s Reading List
“You could get a Harvard MBA or read this book,” veteran investor and member of Bombay Stock Exchange, Ramesh Damani, says, as he discusses his favourite reads.
A vegetarian cookbook, too, figures among Damani’s favourite reads. Read to know more.
From Warren Buffett To Peter Lynch: Books Envision Capital’s Nilesh Shah Reads
What can the founder of PayPal teach investors about startups? What life lessons can one learn from Warren Buffett? These are some underlying themes of Envision Capital’s Nilesh Shah’s favourite books.
Read more here.
Market Lessons From A Veteran: A Look At Nilesh Shah’s Reading List
Kotak Asset Management’s Nilesh Shah, discusses his books, some of which according to him, are “ego busters”.
Read to know more.
The Books Market Gurus Swear By
Market analysts are usually consulted for their views on stocks, bourses and the economy. What if they had to recommend good reads? Here’s a list on everything you want to know about money and finance, as shared by:
- Aswath Damodaran, professor, Stern School of Business
- Sanjoy Bhattacharya, Managing Partner, Fortuna Capital
- Saurabh Mukherjea, founder, Marcellus Investment Managers
- Vishal Khandelwal, founder, Safal Niveshak
- Neelkanth Mishra, chief India economist, Credit Suisse
Read more here.
Venture Capitalists
Books Venture Capitalists Read
Does crowd psychology impact markets? Do our diets change when politics and finance dictate agriculture? Some of India’s venture capitalists speak to BloombergQuint on books that have inspired them.
- Vani Kola, managing director, Kalaari Capital
- Sajith Pai, director, Blume Ventures
- Sandeep Murthy, partner, Lightbox Venture Capital
- Prayank Swaroop, partner, Accel
Read more here.
Startups
Books That Helped Ritesh Agarwal Build Oyo
“I learnt the importance of risk-taking from Elon Musk,” OYO Hotel and Homes’ Ritesh Agarwal told BloombergQuint as he talked about the books that helped him strategise and plan his business.
Read more here.
Books Every Startup Founder Should Read
Here’s a list of books that will help you build your business better. BloombergQuint spoke to:
- Ankiti Bose, founder, Zilingo
- Harsh Shah, founder, Fynd
- Dhruv Dewan, founder, HashtagLoyalty
Read more here.
Why A Book On AI Got Amitabh Kant Hooked
“I like Amitav Ghosh’s books for the way the tale unravels,” Kant told BloombergQuint. While Ghosh is at the top of his reading list, another favourite book of his is in Malayalam, Bhima-The Lone Warrior, which Kant describes as “beautifully written and easy to understand”.
Read more here.
Biographies To Books On Economy: What India’s Politicians Read
Some of India’s leading politicians spoke to BloombergQuint about their favourite books that inspired them.
- Yashwant Sinha, former finance minister
- Shashi Tharoor, member of Parliament for Thiruvananthapuram; chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs
- Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress leader and senior advocate
Read more here.
Advertising
The Books India’s Top Admakers Read
Admakers draw inspiration for ideas from what they see, feel and read. Here are the favourite books of three of India’s top admakers.
- Prahlad Kakar, advertising film director, Genesis Film Production
- Sam Balsara, founder, chairman and managing director of Madison World and Madison Communications
- Amer Jaleel, group chief creative officer and chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group
Read more here.
Food
Chefs’ Table: Books On Food And Cooking
From the science of cooking to its history. From cross-cultural experiences to bad-boy chefs and their travels. Here’s a look at what these top chefs read.
- Sanjeev Kapoor, bestselling author and TV host
- Rohit Gambhir, executive chef at The Oberoi,
- Vicky Ratnani, chef and TV host
- Ranveer Brar, chef and food stylist
- Pooja Dhingra, pastry chef and owner of Le 15 Patisserie
Read more here.
Culinary Experiences: Books That Helped Chef Vineet Bhatia Cook His Way To Success
Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia on books that have influenced his culinary journey.
Read here to know more.
Of Plates And Palates: Chef Manjunath Mural’s Favourite Reads
From a guide to a variety of Indian ingredients to innovative preparation techniques, these books have inspired Chef Manjunath Mural to present Indian cuisine with a twist.
Read more here.
Fashion
Sabyasachi Mukherjee On Books That Inspire Him
Sabyasachi Mukherjee, among the most sought after fashion designers, especially for weddings, spoke to BloombergQuint on books that have inspired him.
Read more here.
Crafting A Sense Of Style: What Fashion Designers Read
Folklore from a tribe in India. Knowledge from the old scriptures. Here’s what inspires fashion designers to create.
- Anita Dongre, founder, House of Anita Dongre
- Ritu Kumar, founder, Ritu Kumar
- Rocky Star, founder and creative director, Rocky Star
Read more here.
Philanthropy
Books That Will Inspire You To Give Back To Society
Do large-scale philanthropic activities—especially when tax-subsidised—serve to strengthen or weaken democratic institutions? These are the themes of books that comprise the reading lists of:
- M Hari Menon, India country director, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
- Shaheen Mistri, chief executive officer, Teach for India
- Aditi Kothari, director and head of sales and marketing, DSP Investment Managers
Read more here.
Authors
From Joseph Conrad To Charles Dickens: Ruskin Bond’s Favourite Reads
Stick to the classics, advises Ruskin Bond as he talks about his favourite books, and authors who influenced him to take up writing as a profession.
Read more here.
From Mahabharat To Marcel Proust: Gurcharan Das’ Favourite Reads
Here’s what Gurcharan Das finds inspiring about Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s The Leopard, Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary.
Read more here.
Art, Poetry, Theatre
From Picasso To Philip Guston: Books On Art
From tracing four volumes of Picasso to following works of a pioneer in abstract expressionism, here’s a list of books that inspired artists Atul Dodiya and Akbar Padamsee to find their individual styles.
Read more here.
From Classics To Contemporary: Books Poets Read
From celebrating love during war to reliving stories of death in a Nazi camp. Here’s what these poets read:
- Keki Daruwalla
- Jerry Pinto
- Meena Kandasamy
- Rupi Kaur
Read more here.
Getting Your Act Together: The Books Theatre Veterans Read
BloombergQuint spoke to theatre directors about their favourite books.
- Arvind Gaur, founder, Asmita Theatre Group
- Amy Russell, co-founder, London International School of Performing Arts
- Quasar Thakore Padamsee, founder, QTP
- Atul Satya Koushik, founder, Films and Theatre Society
Read more here.
Sports And Fitness
Get, Set, Read: The Books Indian Sports Stars Draw Inspiration From
BloombergQuint spoke to five sportsmen about their favourite reads and what they learnt from them.
- Viren Rasquinha, former captain of India’s hockey team, CEO, Olympic Gold Quest
- Gaurav Natekar, lawn tennis player, Arjuna awardee, and founder of Natekar Sports & Fitness
- Ami Ghia, badminton player and Arjuna awardee
- Dhruv Sitwala, world champion, billiards
Read more here.
From Fitness To Food: Books Rujuta Diwekar Binges On
The scientific way to winning against odds. Secrets from old texts. Dietitian Rujuta Diwekar on books that help lead a disciplined life.
Read more here.
The Balanced Diet: What Fitness Experts Read
Should you do that crash diet? How harmful is sugar to your health? BloombergQuint spoke to fitness experts about their top reads.
- Anjali Mukherjee, founder, Health Total
- Pooja Makhija, founder, Nourish
- Mickey Mehta, founder, Mickey Mehta Health Beyond Fitness
Read more here.
Architects
Shaping Structures: The Books Architects Read
Here’s the list of books that inspired these architects to build better.
- AG Krishna Menon, architect, urban planner, conservation consultant
- Sameep Padora, founder, sP+a
- Brinda Somaya, founder, Somaya & Kalappa Consultants
Read more here.
Nature
Nature Trails: What Wildlife Conservationists Read
BloombergQuint spoke to wildlife enthusiasts on their most loved books on nature.
- Bittu Sahgal, founder, Sanctuary Nature Foundation
- Bikram Grewal, ornithologist, author, birdwatcher, conservationist
- Usha Desai, co-founder, The Tree Appreciation Walks
- Shubhalaxmi Vaylure, conservationist, educator, ecopreneur
Read more here.
Tiger Tales: Conservationists Share Their Best Reads On Tiger
Wildlife conservationists talk of their favourite books on the ferocious cat species.
- Valmik Thapar, naturalist, conservationist, writer
- Dr Pranav Chanchani, lead, Tiger Conservation Programme, WWF India
- Parveen Kaswan, officer, Indian Forest Service
- Prerna Singh Bindra, wildlife conservationist and writer
- Neha Sinha, conservationist
Read more here.
From Bonsai To Ikebana: Books For Your Garden
From Japanese flower arrangements to applying Zen Buddhism to grow plants, these books have inspired Bonsai curators and nursery owners BloombergQuint spoke to.
- Harsha Hinduja, trustee, Hinduja Foundation
- Taruna Agarwal, president of Ikebana International- Mumbai
- Urvashi Thacker, trustee at Narsee Monjee Education Trust
Read more here.
