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To B.E. or Not to B.E.?

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To B.E. or Not to B.E.?]
After targeting the software world in his previous satire LOSER, Dipen Ambalia now has engineering students on his hit-list!

"1) Who do you think is responsible for the origin of engineering?

A) Foreign terrorists
B) Some Russian
C) Some American
D) Surpanakha

2) Do you know the relation between submissions and corruption?
3) Who the hell was the father of viva?
4) How are Indian housewives inevitably related to engineering students?
5) What is the "All Engineers are bloody Dogs" theory?

Dipen Ambalia answers these and a lot of other such questions and solves puzzles related to an engineer’s life with great humour and fun.

Join him on this heavenly ride of an engineering student's life and answer the quintessential question: To B.E. or Not to B.E.???

Review

"Hilarious! Reminded me of my engineering days! Every engineer asks himself the same questions “To B.E. or Not to B.E.?”
Varun Agarwal, author of National Bestseller
How I Braved Anu Aunty and Co-founded a Million Dollar Company

"Witty, fun take on engineering days.."
Priya Narendra, author of National Bestseller
You Never Know When You’ll Get Lucky

"...Reminded me of the golden days of my life! The mass bunk, hostel life, vivas . . . Everything flashed before my eyes!"
Sachin Garg, author of bestsellers
It’s First Love and Never Let Me Go

About the Author
An electrical engineer from VJTI (2004), Dipen Ambalia gets electrified by his penchant for words. Not only has he experienced the IT industry for eight tumultuous and enjoyable years, but has also successfully passed his high-voltage thoughts through his two other books In Their Shoes (2010) and LOSER (Life Of a Software Engineer) (2012) (National Bestseller). He has worked in companies such as Polaris Software Labs Ltd. Mphasis- an HP Company, Citiustech and Hexaware.

277 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

11 people are currently reading
133 people want to read

About the author

Dipen Ambalia

5 books10 followers

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5 stars
29 (22%)
4 stars
29 (22%)
3 stars
32 (24%)
2 stars
27 (20%)
1 star
14 (10%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Padhmapriyaa.
46 reviews57 followers
October 17, 2013
This book is very kiddish! It tells you about the engineering students 4 years at college and after college. One star for making me think of my college life.

the book was more like a theory paper's examination answer sheet. We could find good stories in those real answer papers but not in this book.

I really wonder why the hell he started the so called story in heaven and hell. Ok let me stop here. I accept it is fun reading the college facts but it is not a must read for engineering.
Profile Image for Siddhartha.
111 reviews2 followers
July 17, 2013
Very amateurish and childish writing. Not sure if anybody would even smile on the so called wit/humor, forget about finding them hilarious. Even today's kids are much smarter than the absurd jokes mentioned in the book. Stopped after reading 2 chapters.
Profile Image for Ifsaar Ahmad.
2 reviews2 followers
June 26, 2014
the author has tried to be over smart but failed .Good Luck next time .Not worth a buy
Profile Image for Amit.
222 reviews7 followers
May 29, 2013
From the discovery of the Mother of Engineering to the “Every Engineer is a Dog” theory and from the love story behind the invention of the word “Hostel” to the criminal nexus behind college assignments, this book is a nostalgic roller coaster ride

The author has very smartly written this book in a way that makes it appealing to the engineers who are and for the students who will someday (hopefully!!!) become one. For readers like us, who have completed the journey across the vast and deadly ocean of engineering, it serves as a beautiful reminder of the kids we once were. How we innocently assumed, life would be set right after 4 years of torture and how our whole world was limited to completing assignments and getting updates on whose dating who. I’m a 2012 Graduate and I’m feeling old already.

As for those who are doing their engineering course right now (especially the First Years), this is your survival guide more than it’s a book you purchased coz you thought it was funny. This’ll be your survival guide. Just like in American Pie: The Book of Love, the students were passing on the book to some unfortunate virgin. Do some charitable work like passing on this book to a first year when you see one in college or when a new one takes you place in the hostel after you finish your 4 (or more) year old prison sentence.
Thanks a lot Dipen, for reminding me of what I am and how I became one, in a hilarious satire.
This book is available at Flipkart at a price of Rs.156 ($2.78).
1 review
June 16, 2013
MUST read for all who want to be engineers,who are doing engineering and who have done engineering and recollect the college days! Totally hilarious from the first chapter! Surpanakha as the mother of enginering!..Lolllllllllllll! I loved the theory on submissions, vivas, etc..! brilliant satire I would say! I have read Scott adams books and could so well identify his style in Dipen's work! keep it up!
1 review
June 16, 2013
Right from the first page till the last page i was smilin and laughing.. at some points I was laughing so had hard thta my mother from the next room kept asking if i was ok! brilliant humour! The mood was set in right from the DISCLAIMER! It kept me hooked till the last page... worth reading ! you will too have an awesome time like i did!
1 review
June 16, 2013
Laughed my lungs out! Totally worth it! Browsed through a few pages in crossword bhandup and then bought the book to go back to the college days! What a hilarious journey it was! amazing! the thin line of story around the narrative was really sweet! totally fell in love with the author's humour! Expect more books from him! Must read for every engineer!
Profile Image for Deep M..
14 reviews56 followers
March 12, 2017
Not a good book,if you are a literature fan or you want to learn something.
I am giving it a three star rating,just because it reminded me of my engineering days.The writing is poor and too mainstream.Slangs often used in the daily conversations of college life are used in the book.But,the good part about this book is-writer has geniusly made some funny annecdotes like,the tale of "Shuparnakha-as a mother of engineering",origin of vivas and assignments,etymology of word hostel etc.This will make you smile once(no laugh or LOL or ROFL).
Overall,it is a good reminder to one's college life.If you are reading it,don't regret after reading and if you aren't,there is nothing to lose.
55 reviews
June 16, 2014
After his book 'LOSER - Life Of A Software Engineer' won millions of hearts, once again author Dipen Ambalia has been able to attract readers towards his latest book - 'TO B.E OR NOT TO B.E' and this time he has Engineering students on his hit-list.

Trust me, the book has a very interesting start. As you open the book and begin reading you'll laugh your heart out as each and every sentence in it unwraps lots and lots of entertainment.

In my opinion, 'To B.E or not to B.E' is much better than Chetan Bhagat's satire's and is written in such a manner that you trully won't feel like doing anything else other than reading the book.

It is a hilarious one. Every page of it has shots of laughter; thus making it a page-turner. I am sure the author must have idealized the adage 'Laughter is the best medicine' while authoring the book.


For those have completed four years of their Engineering - the book takes you back to your collage days and for those who wish to pursue engineering this book can prove to be your best guide.
21 reviews1 follower
October 22, 2014
After his book 'LOSER - Life Of A Software Engineer' won millions of hearts, once again author Dipen Ambalia has been able to attract readers towards his latest book - 'TO B.E OR NOT TO B.E' and this time he has Engineering students on his hit-list.

Trust me, the book has a very interesting start. As you open the book and begin reading you'll laugh your heart out as each and every sentence in it unwraps lots and lots of entertainment.

In my opinion, 'To B.E or not to B.E' is much better than Chetan Bhagat's satire's and is written in such a manner that you trully won't feel like doing anything else other than reading the book.

It is a hilarious one. Every page of it has shots of laughter; thus making it a page-turner. I am sure the author must have idealized the adage 'Laughter is the best medicine' while authoring the book.


For those have completed four years of their Engineering - the book takes you back to your collage days and for those who wish to pursue engineering this book can prove to be your best guide.
1 review
June 16, 2013
Comedy at its best i would say! what a nice way to be reminded of the college days! the dreaded vivas, the uselesss submissions, the nautanki final year project! gosh! I am missing those days again! The main focus is on recollection of the college days.. so dont worry about the thin storyline around the narrative... Surely recommend to one and all! Read this book and you will surely call up your college friends and relive the old days!
Profile Image for Meghant Parmar.
Author 3 books52 followers
July 19, 2013
It's a decent story with lots of humor and best suited for engineers to read. Casual readers won't find it as interesting as the other books.

The readers who don't belong to this profession will not enjoy it thoroughly. It's a good attempt to portray the lives of the engineers and many parts in this book will hold true. Some parts are lengthy and over stretched at times.

It's an engineer's delight. :)
Profile Image for Y Ravi Kiran.
17 reviews3 followers
August 26, 2013
After having read LOSER, I have really been excited to read this.

But, this was not upto the mark. Keeping the matter and humour apart, the storyline, that was unnecessarily picked was bad and just seemed out of the book.

I cried at the end of the book, for two reasons.
The last serious note was so touching. And the end love was so artificial.

India loses one more writer.
Profile Image for Krunal Jhaveri.
11 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2013
No story, the Author just enlists experiences which a future engineer faces in his engineering life. If you have graduated some 15-20 years back then its an amazing read to re-call those fun times. But if you have graduated just a month back like me, this book wont shell out anything new and I wont recommend it.
Profile Image for Karthik D.R.
149 reviews12 followers
December 23, 2013
ROFL.. Literally!!

The author literally has poured out (will he mind if I say 'Puked out'?) all his BE experiences in this book. If someone fits exactly to the essence of this book, I'll be him!

Thanks for making me to travel around those awesome years again in my lifetime..

I owe you a party (@ your college canteen:)) Mr. Dipen!
Profile Image for Santosh Baraiya.
4 reviews
June 22, 2014
An engineer can feel the life of the other engineer.
The description of an engineer's four year's journey in a very light way.
Some say the writing is childish, but I enjoyed the book as the writing came from a true engineer's heart. That book reminded me that four glorious years of my life.
Good book to enjoy.
Profile Image for Manoj Kumawat.
1 review
Read
June 24, 2013
It's a hilarious read.must read for engineers and to-be-engineers. It will walk you through your engineering college time like you are living that time again.
Profile Image for Vamsi Paluvadi.
4 reviews
October 17, 2015
Before reading this book, I thought this book is not for me. But after reading, I was just gazing the book as it was reflecting me. Enjoyed a lot.
19 reviews3 followers
October 15, 2013
Reading two books in the similar narration style back to back might not really do good to the reader's health!
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews

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