Review on "Go kiss the World"..

There was no looking back after I decided to purchase this book, thanks to Giri. Giri, impressed by my blogging skills asked me to write a review on the book "Go kiss the World". So, I finally decided to purchase the book online. The book was shipped in 3 days. I couldn't wait to put my hands on the book. But I was a bit late. My Dad had already started reading the book. I thought that he was actually just going through the first few introduction pages. But later I was shocked to have found him reading the 20th page as I had never seen him read a book before.

So, I had to wait for my turn to put my hands on the book. I thought that I would actually read it after Dad goes to sleep. So I did. I read the prologue and got to know that the book actually had 3 parts in it. The first part gives you a complete picture of Subroto's early years ( starting from the day he was born ). The second inspires you to explore the making of an young professional giving the example of Subroto's life. The third however tells you how to come back after a fall, how MindTree was born, about the mid-life transition / mid-life crisis and some important lessons for a young professional.

I got off to a flying start after having read 50 pages on the first day. My Dad was soon catching up though. The first part tells you about the 'life of simplicity' of Subroto's family. It tells you how Subroto was brought up imbibing the skills required. It also tells you how he had to keep changing schools everytime his Dad got transfered and how that actually helped him to build a high degree of comfort with displacement. How displacement helps you to explore everything around you and develop curiosity. How he was mentored by his brothers and how it actually helps. He also narrates an experience where he was caught smoking beedi's at the age of 5 and was let go after his father remained silent. He tells that how not handing out the punishment when it is most expected is the best way to bring lasting repentance. He also tells you how he went on to become the "Best NCC Cadet" of India and recieved the award from The President of India at Rashtrapathi Bhavan. How the Colonel told him not to join the army, navy or the air-force which could have changed his life. How he started working as a junior clerk in the industries department of the Government of Orissa and his experiences.

In the second part, he tells you how he learned to fly after he read the book "Jonathan Livingston Seagull" and how it inspired him to join HCL inspite of a 40% cut in his salary. His comfort with displacement helped him change jobs often. He had moved from DCM to HCL and then to PSI and MMC. He tells us how he learned to fail when MMC decided to close down its computer business. He, along with Sujit Bose then decided to start a training institute called Project.21. After having had a decent 3 years at Project.21, it was actually aquired by NIIT. It was then that he decided to quit and go in search of his own destiny. He then joined Wipro where he met Ashok, KK, Partha and others who were to become co-founders of MindTree with him one day. He along with Ashok Soota, Azim Premji and others made people understand the issues which helped Wipro reach the level where it is now. He then had to go to the US to set-up an office for Wipro there. He explains how he set-up a home office and how difficult it was to run it. He then returned back to India after having spent a good 3 years of hard-work which helped Wipro in the long-run. He then explains about the mid-life crisis/transition he faced when he joined Lucent Technologies after having quit Wipro.

In the third part, he explains "The Pain of Re-birth" after his decision to join Lucent Technologies turned out to be a bad one. It was then that he along with KK started planning to start an organization. He then gives you a complete picture of how MindTree was born and how different people took different responsibilities within to help it blossom. He also explains how they had to cope-up with the 9/11 tragedy thanks to the good leadership of Ashok and the confidence of our top three customers then - Avis, Franklin Templeton and Unilever. How the deal with Volvo in 2002 changed everything for MindTree. Their effort in building the 3 kinds of infrastructure - physical, intelluctual and the emotional to raise MindTree to the next level. His belief in Servant Leadership and his decision to take on a postion of service in MindTree. He relives those moments that could have changed his life. When the Colonel, who had chaired the selection panel to choose the Best Cadet of India advised him - "Son, never join the army, never join the navy and never join the air force". Had he not ruled out these favourable options, his life would have been quite different. The incident where an old man in his eighties told him - "Never think of retiring". One more incident where his landlord advised him - "Open your mind before you open your mouth". He calls these people as Personal Angels - people who live in our midst. He then in the final chapter ( my favourite ) gives us some important lessons which he had learnt in his life. With those lessons comes the capability for all of us to Go kiss the World.

I suggest all of you to read the book atleast once and I am sure that you will enjoy reading it and feel that it's worth. Happy reading.

I will surely ask my Dad about his experiences reading the book ( what I feel is the first story book he has ever read ) once he finishes. I am sure he would have enjoyed reading it. Looking forward to more books from Subroto. Signing Off.

Regards,
Kishan Chandranna