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Zen Garden: Conversations with Pathmakers
For the immensely popular column ‘Zen Garden’ which he published in Forbes India for over three years, bestselling author Subroto Bagchi cpoke to some very interesting people. Many, though not all, of the visitors to ‘Zen Garden’ were, like Subroto himself, high-performance entrepreneurs. But the one thing that was common to every guest was that they were pathmakers – rather than choosing to follow the well-trodden path, they had charted new paths that other could tread on.
This book features the very best conversations from ‘Zen Garden’, including those with the Dalai Lama, Sadhguru Jaggi Zasudev, Nandan Nilekani, Aamir Khan, Dr. Devi Shetty, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Ekta Kapoor, social entrepreneur Harish Hande, Sanjeev Bikchandani of naukri.com, Deep Kalra of makemytrip.com, Café Coffee Day’s V.G. Siddhartha, Vikram Bakshi (the man who brought McDonald’s to India) and India’s top windmaker, Rajeev Samant.
In their own words, these game changers reveal what it was that made them think differently, what gave them the courage to step off the beaten track, and how they sustained their vision in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
This book features the very best conversations from ‘Zen Garden’, including those with the Dalai Lama, Sadhguru Jaggi Zasudev, Nandan Nilekani, Aamir Khan, Dr. Devi Shetty, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Ekta Kapoor, social entrepreneur Harish Hande, Sanjeev Bikchandani of naukri.com, Deep Kalra of makemytrip.com, Café Coffee Day’s V.G. Siddhartha, Vikram Bakshi (the man who brought McDonald’s to India) and India’s top windmaker, Rajeev Samant.
In their own words, these game changers reveal what it was that made them think differently, what gave them the courage to step off the beaten track, and how they sustained their vision in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2012
21 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Subroto Bagchi
20 books100 followersSubroto Bagchi is best known for co-founding MindTree in 1999 where he started as the Chief Operating Officer. MindTree is among India’s most admired companies across industries. In 2008, Bagchi took on the role of Gardener at MindTree.
In this new role, Bagchi spends one-on-one time with the Top-100 leaders at MindTree on their ‘personal-professional’ issues to expand leadership capacity and build readiness for taking MindTree into the billion-dollar league. In addition, Bagchi works at the grassroots by making himself available to its 45 Communities of Practice that foster organizational learning, innovation and volunteerism within the organization.
Bagchi has written extensively in leading newspapers and magazines, and spoken at industry platforms and educational institutions the world over. His Businessworld column - Arbor Mentis - and Times of India column - Times of Mind - were widely read and discussed. Many of these are archived at www.mindtree.com/subrotobagchi.
His first book, The High Performance Entrepreneur was released in 2006 as a Penguin Portfolio publication to great critical acclaim. His second book, Go Kiss the World was released in 2008 as a Penguin Portfolio. Mark Tully hailed it as “a remarkable story of courage, integrity and enterprise”.
In this new role, Bagchi spends one-on-one time with the Top-100 leaders at MindTree on their ‘personal-professional’ issues to expand leadership capacity and build readiness for taking MindTree into the billion-dollar league. In addition, Bagchi works at the grassroots by making himself available to its 45 Communities of Practice that foster organizational learning, innovation and volunteerism within the organization.
Bagchi has written extensively in leading newspapers and magazines, and spoken at industry platforms and educational institutions the world over. His Businessworld column - Arbor Mentis - and Times of India column - Times of Mind - were widely read and discussed. Many of these are archived at www.mindtree.com/subrotobagchi.
His first book, The High Performance Entrepreneur was released in 2006 as a Penguin Portfolio publication to great critical acclaim. His second book, Go Kiss the World was released in 2008 as a Penguin Portfolio. Mark Tully hailed it as “a remarkable story of courage, integrity and enterprise”.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 17, 2018
My copy of this book is from the last #BigBadWolfBooks Big Sale in Manila (February 2018). This book contains few of the interviews conducted by the author with India's pathmakers. The list includes the Dalai Lama, Aamir Khan, and many others.
What I love about this book is that it featured people who have made it and curated their own kind of success. Each pathmaker had their own constructs of what it means to be successful, and each of them had really valuable lessons to teach about strategies, decision making, and discipline.
I noticed that many of the featured people were educated in the US or the UK but returned to India to build their enterprise there. It is one of the themes in the lives of the featured pathmakers.
Not all of the interviews satisfied me though, because many of them only touched the surface of the person's story. It failed somehow in extracting the core at some point due to time constraint. Nonetheless, I'd say this book is bursting with beautiful anecdotes and tips for anyone craving knowledge about entrepreneurship, success, career, not-for-profit enterprise, and business.
What I love about this book is that it featured people who have made it and curated their own kind of success. Each pathmaker had their own constructs of what it means to be successful, and each of them had really valuable lessons to teach about strategies, decision making, and discipline.
I noticed that many of the featured people were educated in the US or the UK but returned to India to build their enterprise there. It is one of the themes in the lives of the featured pathmakers.
Not all of the interviews satisfied me though, because many of them only touched the surface of the person's story. It failed somehow in extracting the core at some point due to time constraint. Nonetheless, I'd say this book is bursting with beautiful anecdotes and tips for anyone craving knowledge about entrepreneurship, success, career, not-for-profit enterprise, and business.
July 5, 2016
A good book for non-resident Indians who are considering moving back to India. There are several examples of people who moved back from the US and did something of value to them and the nation.
Few lines from the book that I like the most...
It is perfectly okay to be inconsistent in a chronological sense because it means you are growing. Mohandas K. Gandhi said, "Do not ask me about my position on an issue ten years ago; ask me about my position on it today." As leaders, we must evolve. Somebody who is afraid of chronological inconsistency is not growing, is not an evolving individual.
Few lines from the book that I like the most...
It is perfectly okay to be inconsistent in a chronological sense because it means you are growing. Mohandas K. Gandhi said, "Do not ask me about my position on an issue ten years ago; ask me about my position on it today." As leaders, we must evolve. Somebody who is afraid of chronological inconsistency is not growing, is not an evolving individual.
November 12, 2017
Assorted and yet organized set of interviews from people with entrepreneurial drives, bundled together into qualities. Easy to digest, and a smooth flow of topics. Presents itself as a storehouse of some nice quotes.
June 19, 2017
just a collection of short stories and micro bursts of motivation which neither informs you much nor serves its sole purpose.
September 13, 2017
Short...crisp...and a quick read. You get to know about many personalities...famous and not so famous.
July 21, 2020
I am Always love subroto bagchi, he is connected via his books and each book changing something inside me this book about many life experience about pathmakers
January 24, 2021
Interesting compilation of various types of entrepreneurs.
February 24, 2017
When you finish reading a good book, you are left with some kind of a parting sadness as your journey with the book comes to an end. This was one such book for me! My daily travelling partner to work! Reading Zen Garden had become a morning ritual for me and I used to look forward to spending my time reading this book during my daily commute to work.It is full of inspiring stories of inspiring business leaders and entrepreneurs-full of positivity, perspectives and powerful messages! I highly recommend this book to one and all.
January 25, 2016
Path makers and Path Dependent people are both required for different reasons and the book is a compilation of interviews with path makers highlighting their qualities. Determination : Persevering with a sense of purpose, resilience to remain standing until lightening strikes. Vision: Building a shared vision of the future, using technology as an ally to solve complex global problems through innovation, altruism and volunteerism. Courage : To break free, step forward and sometimes run away and continue with the same enthusiasm and confidence. Displacement : to use the inherent discomfort of displacement to build an unusual legacy. Love & Competence : Using the intersection of both, for creation of knowledge converting to innovation to build competitive advantage for lasting customer value. Innovation : Part science, part witch-craft, part logic and part emotion while using focus, financial and information discipline. New Paths, New Economy : The creative entrepreneurs capable of turning the industry on it's head possess creative talent. The Power of Two : A business Partnership of give and take and a lot of mutual adjustments to build business & family life. Compassionate Leadership : Privilege comes with responsibility. Pain : Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Do what makes you happy. Altruism : The existential intelligence that builds trust to pursue activities with humanity, honesty & transparency by transcending the limitations of the small identity. Wisdom: Wise, and not just smart, wise, and not just successful, wise and not just impressive.
November 12, 2015
This book is the conversations with many first generation entrepreneurs in various fields. It gives glimpses about each people's background and what they achieve. Some of the them are interesting and some inspires and many are ordinary. One-thing is common among many people is they studied / worked in one field, but they achieved in another field. Some of the inspiring lines I liked in this book are:
"Be in the mud. Make do with what you have. Don't seek favours from the system. Respect the guy confronting you; see yourself in him. And then play the game."
- Bijay Sharma.
"Every time someone threw a stone at me, I picked it up and made it a part of my foundation. In life, you always have to look at what is left."
- Sanghamitra Jena.
"Do not make judgements about things, people and issues with half-information. Listen the little drummer in you who keeps saying, 'Break free, become large, build something memorable'."
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
"You become far more successful if you adapt when circumstances change, and then do the very best you can at that point in time."
The position will automatically come. Do something useful."
-Kris Gopalakrishnan.
"To be a leader in any field, the essential thing is to build trust."
- Dalai Lama.
"Do what makes you happy; don't worry about being successful. . . Be courages. . . Live life on your terms."
-Aamir Khan.
"Be in the mud. Make do with what you have. Don't seek favours from the system. Respect the guy confronting you; see yourself in him. And then play the game."
- Bijay Sharma.
"Every time someone threw a stone at me, I picked it up and made it a part of my foundation. In life, you always have to look at what is left."
- Sanghamitra Jena.
"Do not make judgements about things, people and issues with half-information. Listen the little drummer in you who keeps saying, 'Break free, become large, build something memorable'."
- Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw.
"You become far more successful if you adapt when circumstances change, and then do the very best you can at that point in time."
The position will automatically come. Do something useful."
-Kris Gopalakrishnan.
"To be a leader in any field, the essential thing is to build trust."
- Dalai Lama.
"Do what makes you happy; don't worry about being successful. . . Be courages. . . Live life on your terms."
-Aamir Khan.
November 27, 2016
Zen garden had a nice ring to it which becomes the main reason why I had picked this book up, little knowing that this would get so interesting that I would read the whole book in a week.
Subroto bagchi is a good story teller but what sets the book apart is the actual stories of all these pathmakers.
Entrepreneurship can be pursued by anyone. Anyone willing enough to pursue it- major takeaway. By the way, did you know chik shampoo now sells as Calvin Kare?
This book made me meet 53 game changers in a week's span. How many can you meet?
Subroto bagchi is a good story teller but what sets the book apart is the actual stories of all these pathmakers.
Entrepreneurship can be pursued by anyone. Anyone willing enough to pursue it- major takeaway. By the way, did you know chik shampoo now sells as Calvin Kare?
This book made me meet 53 game changers in a week's span. How many can you meet?
August 4, 2018
Excellent
This is another gem from Subrata. The short interactions with various persons who have achieved their missions reveals the thought process of Achievers.
A MUST book for all who aim to be a respected and valued contributor to develop a better society.
This is another gem from Subrata. The short interactions with various persons who have achieved their missions reveals the thought process of Achievers.
A MUST book for all who aim to be a respected and valued contributor to develop a better society.
September 19, 2015
Through Mr. Bagchi's books I felt I was personally meeting all the great people. Their truth is enlightening.
April 6, 2016
Good book , but I will really like if the author go for more description of the interviews.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2016
Nice read. Wonderful insights from various conversations.
April 4, 2021
It seems few of the people interviewed only because the author knew them personally.
March 23, 2014
great read. some really inspiring stories and a couple of them ordinary.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews