What is it with the IIMs? I always suspected that they breed some kind of a herd mentality (actually I'm being very harsh here - all education in our country has the same outcome!), but what convinces me is this new rush to publish books with an 'IIM' tag.
It was started by 'Five Point Someone' which was the first in its niche. It was followed up by some juvenile effort called 'Anything for you, Ma'am' or some such about life in IIT. And I have been the victim of 2 recent publications - one which was truly despicable ('If God were a Banker' - which tries to peg its tag to IIM AND Citibank), and the other ('The Funda of Mix-ology' - What bartending teaches which IIM doesnt) which, while not the absolute dumps, is nothing to write home about either.
And more to come - I already see marketing efforts for more IIM books.
My point is not that all IIM books are trash - it is that if you need to leverage your IIM roots to sell your book, why dont you write something half-readable? In my opinion, you are diluting the brand, and giving up your chance to stand out from a cluttered marketplace (this sounds suspiciously like what some marketing guy would say, and I am certainly very poor in that discipline, if my grades are anything to go by!!)
I still look forward to the IIM book which is a) relevant b) readable and c) purposeful. Hell, I may just write one myself!!
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Completly agree with u on the mixology book. These books are a shame on IIMs. Tells people that IIM guys (who publish) have negative talent as far as writing prose. But good at marketing talent - cos they managed to get TOTAL TRASH published by the so called reputed publishers like Rupa.
And honestly, I fail to see the correlation between bartending (as defined by mixing a few drinks at a friend's party and serving to already half drunk people) and IIM teaching.
Such books are a total waste of time, energy, money.
Folks,
Books by authors from IIMs are like any other book- some are good, most are bad...so dont fall into the trap of generalizing about them. The Funda of Mix-ology in particular is a book I love- and Gayatri, read it- dont go by the title alone - it has nothing to do with IIM life and in fact is a great commentary on modern society- you know what they say- never judge a book by its cover....my belief is never to label and read a book for its content v/s whatever convenient label we can stick to it.
I stopped buying IIM books some time back... why read a semi-phony version of a life that I lived to the hilt myself ...
On the other hand if it is not about IIM life, then the guys are pulling a fraud on us by diluting our "brand equity" ... something akin to taxation by inflation trick of the governments
So what makes a good book ... ??
The answer will be out when i motivate myself to write one...
he he he he
Ashish, I read the book and hence the strong view against the book. The point u made is exactly what I am trying to say (among other things) - that it has nothing to do with IIM life- then why drag that into the title? For trying to add "sale value"? Given the quality of the book- I find it shameful.
Somehow I did not like either the concept nor the style of writing. If you read a Cronin- you will never find the story line amazing, but the way the author writes mesmerizes me completly. Try reading a Cronin and you will know what I mean.
But I agree with you that generalizing is not a great idea cos may be someday some great soul (Gullu, Vishesh, Alam someone else???) from an IIM will finally write a quality book.
I bought 'If God was a banker' just yesterday - havent read it yet. So, dunno how it would be.
The only reason, I bought it, was coz its written by an alumnus. Maybe, I should be a lot more selective from here onwards. :-|
Vishesh, now that will be a good to read, the one which you Pen.
Coming to the books with IIM title, I think its more for IIM aspirants or people who have heard about IIM's so much (thanks to Mr Arjun Singh in no small measures), rather then for people who have spent couple of years on campus. Think about it even if 10% of IIM aspirants buy the book we are talking of 15000 in sales, which is a really good number for a book sales in India. Its just like all the self help book, someone with a rich dad will not bother to read "Rich dad poor dad" :-)
First, Why IIMs? Isn't this a phenomenon that has always been there? Harvard MBAs, Corporate CEOs, I-Bankers - the catch has been that people coming from institutions that have been in the cross-wire of the junta have always made hay while the sunshine lasts.
Second, "diluting the brand" is a very dubious statement - I think there's not much to dilute in the IIM brand (I am not criticizing it). I would associate IIM with street-smartness but excellence? No.
Literature will always be in two parts - meaningful or relevant.
Chetan Bhagat's book is relevant - lakhs of students want to get into IIT every year; same with "Inscrutable Americans" - the juvenalia that ruled the roost of the top Indian bestseller of all times till FivePointSomeone.
Relevant and meaningful - rare. The true classics.
Dickens.
Catcher in the Rye.
To Kill a MockingBird.
Death of a Salesman.
Third, it is sad to see people lose their identity in an institution's: which is how big institutions break the back of the most brilliant of people. For me excellence lies within an individual, an institution can only offer him means. But so often the ones with the mostpromise make the means the crutch to support their on ID the rest of their lives.
Given the fact that someof the more intelligent people wind up in A-grade instis, the probability of writers emerging from there is more. But, even if they want to write about the insti, I, like you Vishesh, expect a work that can withstand the stripping of the name-dropping within.
I think "Above Average" was a book that rose above the IITD it was backdropped against. Pity: a little more work on the book itself, and a lot more mktng - it could have broken the trend of
OOnchi dukans an saste pakaans.
what sells more? oonchi dukaan ke saste pakwaan or obscure dukaan ke swadisht pakwaan?
I haven't personally read the 2 books u mentioned.. but i read "Joker in the Pack"... a book written by 2 guys from IIMs, and it was quite enjoyable, HUMOROUS and inspiring....
Its not classic literature, but it is thoroughly enjoyable..
Aren't some of you just being envious? The bottom line is that smart people get into IIT/IIM- and very smart people often have other talents- but in our system end up going to these institutions. Then after a while, they tire of the rat race and start dabbling in these interests- so people don't write because they went to IIM- these people would probably have written anyways- its just that people who are smart and can multitask (if its so easy, why dont one of YOU try writing a book while holding down a stressful corporate job) make it into places like IIMs more than other people....
dear anonymous
two points only -
1) if these multi-tasking, smart people would have written anyway, why do they all write about the very same thing as each other? i'm sure there would be SOME smart multitasking people who did not go to IIM?? if EVERYONE does the very same thing at the very same time, it smells of 'herd' to me, and not talent
2) my point is not that authors sprouting out of the IIM woodwork is a bad thing. my point is that these books are not great quality. therefore the authors are no great talent. therefore they wrote because they went to IIM and because they saw other people writing such books and because they believe that they can sell these books on the iim name
Dude, who are you to judge their quality- they sell in droves, and enough people swear by them. I just smell sour grapes on your part.
@Nothing Spectacular
You make it sound like writing a book is like throwing up after drinking too much. Dude, even taking the CAT every year is herd mentality, but not everyone makes it. My point is, you don't make it into an IIM or write a book just because everyone else is doing it. You do it because you feel like doing it, and more importantly, CAN do it. Like someone above said, most of these books are best-sellers - be it Above Average, Joker in the Pack or Keep off the Grass or 5 Point Someone, whatever! If you don't like em, dont read em! Peace :)
@ Anonymous (the latest one):
As a wise man has said - tis' easy to critisize, tough to do. Therefore I agree with you. Peace :-)
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