Thursday 16 April 2015

Book Review- Sorry, Not For Sale- Urmila Bhargava

ISBN- 978-1-60976-709-9
Title- Sorry, Not For Sale- A Woman's Fight Against Corruption
Author- Urmila Bhargava
Publishers- Strategic Book Group
Price- Rs 195
Pages- 218



About the author: Urmila Bhargava is the managing director of IFP Petro Products Private Ltd. She holds a Master's Degree in Education from Allahabad University. She lives currently in Noida with her children.

Review: How do you weigh years of wisdom and honest advice on a scale? I cannot rate this book because it is not like any of the other ones. It is not even looking to make a profit. It is the story of a simple woman who overcame odds and achieved the honour of living a full life without compromising on her ideals. Even the book is titled 'not for sale'. The introduction leads us into the world of this lady who sounds like she has stories to tell. You know there is years of experience in her so you wash your feet, grab your beverage of choice and curl up in the bed to soak it all in.

The acknowledgements page reeks of family bonding. It is just a granny being thankful to her family and the things that must have gone into the making of this book bring a warm fuzzy feeling to the heart.

The introduction page introduces us to the basic premise of the book. It is the story of a lady and her husband (she calls him MM) who fight it out in a bad, bad world. They come from different backgrounds. One from the family of British loyalists and the other- quite the opposite. And yet, they inherit the same basic fabric of morality and values. It is hard to be objective when you're indulging in telling a story where you're never going to be wrong because, well, it's your story. The author has tried hard to give an objective view and has succeeded in parts. It is not a book about spiritual nirvana so, the sense of self is evident.

The book talks about the lady's struggles when she came to Delhi to establish her SSI unit and the problems she faced with the system. The historical mentions of those times make the book more relevant and interesting. She does have an adventurous spirit and her exploits in the wilderness, trekking and just traveling are worth preserving. Not every incident is nail-biting or edge of the chair adventure but, yes, they bring you a sense of those times and those people. Nostalgia is definitely a strong point in this book.

The tales are amusing and they can be read at a slower pace on lazy afternoons. This book is less of a novel and more of a short stories compilation with different references to Indian history. The funny quips and repartee between those real life characters make for a light, entertaining read.

The pages are nice and thick and the book feels slightly heavy due to the good quality. The cover art could have been better but it does convey the message behind the book with impact. The fonts are large and readable and the book is meant for those who prefer their stories like I prefer my chicken nuggets- warm, delightful and pleasurable even in small doses.

Now, as a bonus, here's some free-floating music- 

(Courtesy- Hersh Bhardwaj)

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