One of the Hindi video store that my wife and I frequently visit here in NJ sells selected books on the side as well. While my wife was picking out a video one day, I happened to pick up a book called India Unbound by Gurcharan Das. I read the book while I paid for it, on our drive back home and until I was finished with it.
India Unbound was highly readable for someone who is not a subject matter expert. By no stretch of imagination I will claim to be an expert at world economy and history but Das made it easy for me to understand what Indian economy has gone through in past few decades.
This book taught me more about the economic rise and fall in India since the Independence than any other resource I’ve come across. I’ve never read an economics book that was so interesting. Rather than overwhelming readers with complex economic theories he uses real life examples which us normal people can relate to and digest. He uses perfect blend of pessimism to show us the reality of the situation while showing the optimistic side of the rising economy in India.
It’s an excellent journey from the early economic down time due to government bureaucracy to modern India as an economic power house ready to move forward and compete with the rest of the world leaders.
This book is a must read for anyone either trying to survive day to day life in India or involved in upper echelon business.