What's In It For You: Book Review

Friday, April 27, 2012, 15:31 [IST]

The cover of 'What's In It For You?' from Macmillan publishers with an image of dices and quizzical gives the look of 'management textbook'. Your first impression is that it would probably be an academic book like 'Six Sigma' or 'Finance For Non Finance'. But, if you have picked the book for focused heavy reading, you will be pleasantly surprised. The book is a guide to make a career from your hobby.

If we are to review the book in terms of content, then it can be described as a combination of biography and self improvement. Hailing from an educated middle class Punjabi family, Ravi K Mehrotra makes an unusual career choice. Being a marine engineer, he travels around the world. His account of Iran before and after the Islamic revolution is inspiring. The journey from a mariner to the owner of a huge shipping corporation is the inspiring part of the story. But, what the Indian author is really talking about is how to make a career out of your hobby.

The author Ravi K Mehrotra, talks about management skills and business strategies that are part of his life's story. It is not an average rags to riches story that dwells upon the personal achievements of the author to the extent of bragging. The anecdotes in Whats In It For You are very slice of life and thus believable.

The book is very well edited, incredibly simple and lucid. For example, the point about bringing family values into your organisation. It has been said in various complicated ways before. But when the author says, “With all the tension in the world, the best survival system is that of the family.” It suddenly hits you as the truth you have known all along but never understood.

What's In It For You, has something in it for everybody. So, do pick it up if you wish to change your hobby into a viable career option.