Libraries Of Leaders: Books That Inspire Apollo Hospitals’ Preetha Reddy, And A Genre She Stays Away From
Apollo Hospitals’ Preetha Reddy on books that have helped hone her business outlook.
A classic on a “new way of thinking about happiness”. A book on how organisations can remain relevant. A retake on a book that celebrates capitalism. These are the themes that comprise the reading list of Preetha Reddy.
The vice-chairperson of Apollo Hospitals also tells BloombergQuint about a genre she chooses to stay away from.
Here’s a peek into some of her favourite books...
Fountainhead, by Ayn Rand
A masterpiece, its perspective is relevant to date and will always be so. An individual fighting for survival in a society that refuses to accept him, this classic brought alive his struggle and it highlighted a situation that many grapple with in their own lives.
“In particular, it illustrated a new way of thinking towards happiness, a state of mind desired by all,” Reddy said.
Checklist Manifesto, By Atul Gawande
“He recommends a simple yet incredibly great tool to deal with the complexity that surrounds us in every field, be it medicine or finance,” Reddy said. “In such an environment, either due to the fallibility of human memory or distractions, missing an important aspect or step can prove to be disastrous, making it important to be addressed with an intervention.”
The Emperor Of All Maladies, By Siddhartha Mukherjee
This narrative about cancer intended to demystify a powerful adversary of humanity is a brilliant book given the burgeoning prevalence of the disease, worldwide. The battle against cancer needs collective and collaborative effort and this book was a great “thought starter”.
How The Mighty Fall And Why Some Companies Never Give Up, By Jim Collins
Businesses are pivotal protagonists in shaping economies and ‘How the Mighty Fall and Why Some Companies Never Give Up’ by Jim Collins is an interesting mirror for organisations to realise where they stand and also to remind them to keep innovating to be relevant to discerning populations and stave off decline.
The Fortune At The Bottom Of The Pyramid, By C K Prahalad
This book examined the untapped potential of billions, and recommended a road towards inclusive capitalism, according to Reddy. “Even in the present day, as we grapple towards sustainability, there is a lot to learn from this classic.”
Healer: Dr Prathap Chandra Reddy And The Transformation Of India, By Pranay Gupte
“My father’s biography ‘The Healer Dr. Prathap Chandra Reddy and the Transformation of India’, captures his life’s journey in building India’s first corporate hospital and catalysing a revolution in the country,” she said. “Imaginably, it’s a narrative that I’ve witnessed first-hand and it always inspires me to do more with every passing day.”
Books For Leisure Reading
On the lighter side, in fiction “I would include most of Jeffery Archer and Barbara Taylor Bradford’s books among my favourites”, Reddy said.
“Over the last few years, I have enjoyed reading books of several Indian authors, many who beautifully connect mythology and modernism. In particular, Ashwin Sanghi’s books have been very interesting,” Reddy said.
“At large, my choice has been led by the visual that the author paints with words, and lastly, books that highlight violence disturb me greatly, and hence I tend to avoid them altogether.”