Reading Room: "My perennial favourites": Sabyasachi Ghosh

Sabyasachi Ghosh, VP, Bengali Magazines, ABP Group finds suspense thrillers a fun read. He terms them as his perennial favourites.

Currently, I am reading Linchpin by Seth Godin. The first title published four years back by my favourite entrepreneur extraordinaire Seth Godin - the 'change agent' who pioneered permission marketing and who loves to spread the 'ideavirus'.

Seth defined a new 'class' in today's information economy through this title. Moving on from the dual pillars of industrial economy defined by Adam Smith and Marx, Seth has introduced the concept of a new team at the workplace, 'linchpins' - distinct from the 'management' and the 'labour'. So, who are the 'linchpins'?

Linchpins invent, lead (regardless of title), connect others, make things happen, and create order out of chaos. They figure out what to do when there's no rule book. Three themes that make linchpins stand up and be counted are 'be an artist', 'overcome (internal) resistance' and 'implement quality projects and ideas'.

What I like the most is the thought of people generating value through 'emotional labour'. Also, a sense of urgency prodding the reader to decide about the future and pointing out his/her potential to make a huge difference in a chosen field. Seth advises us to become fearless - not just work in a 'factory' - "a place where people go to do what they're told to, and earn a pay check". But I missed the usual understated humour that is a Seth hallmark.

However, if you trust Godin's judgment, he will tell you the 'linchpins' land the best jobs and the most 'freedom'. Don't get me wrong though, linchpins can be entrepreneurs too!

Right after this, I will start with Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand. I came across this book on Amazon which provides a fascinating description : "Telling an unforgettable story of a man's journey into extremity, Unbroken is a testament to the resilience of the human mind, body, and spirit".

The book is about answering desperation with ingenuity when pushed to the limits of human endurance; suffering with hope, resolve, and humour. I am eager to make time for this 500-page response to the question : "Just who is Zamperini?"

Well, the three of my all-time favourites are The 7-Day Weekend by Ricardo Semler; When the penny drops by R Gopalakrishnan; and Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.

Apart from these serious-type, value-adding books, I also find suspense thrillers a fun read. These are my perennial favourites. I love all the Hitchcock-ian, Mclean-ian, Christie-ian, Brown-ian, Wallace-ian and Forsythe-ian stuff that I can lay my hands on - quite an exhaustive collection here.

These authors are masters of suspense and in 15 minutes flat, they catch my throat and simultaneously get my adrenaline rushing. I guess it is that state of "waiting for something to happen" which mattes to me. It is one hell of a job making the reader as fully informed as possible through writing in order to build the suspense (compared to a film). They are, simply put, classics.