The School of Life

by Dr. K. Vasuki IAS

Far from being a self-eulogising chronicle, K. Vasuki’s The School of Life is a blazingly honest account of her evolution from “an imperfect human into, not a perfect human, but a better version of herself.” Steadfast in her insistence that she is not positing any definitive, universally applicable solutions to the troubles of life, she offers us a glimpse into her inspiring life and career in the Indian Administrative Service, demanding throughout that we “keep questioning everything” she says. Unassuming as she is, she even downplays her monumental role in coordinating the disaster relief operations during the 2018 floods in Kerala, which devastated thirteen of the state’s fourteen districts. As the District Collector of Thiruvananthapuram, the able and committed Vasuki was also reckoning with a far more pervasive and pernicious issue, which sparked off not only those floods but this year’s Wayanad landslides too. In her own words, “having been at the pinnacle of management” during the crisis, she was “frustrated that as humanity, we are still unable to take concrete action for climate change and that such a disaster has fallen upon us because of all of our collective failure.” On the whole, The School of Life is an engaging, endearing, and enriching study in courage, which Ernest Hemingway defined — almost with K. Vasuki in mind — as “grace under pressure.”

366 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 9, 2025

Reviews

[Abhiram K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I accidentally picked this book, without knowing anything about it. And oh boy!it was such a ride,which made me rethink my entire life and existence.The thing I need to highlight is vasuki's ability to make the reader emotionally connect with her experiences,dreams and vision. You can see yourself in her, and for me personally I could relate with her so much so that at times I thought she was narrating my mind. As the book proceeds Vasuki brings you into this entire new realm,which is worth experiencing cause it can change your life,the polluted life we all are living. so,it's a must read and let's together make the world a better place to live in.

[Dani David · Rating 1 out of 5]

You just have to read the last pictures of this book. All the other concepts most of them are repeated... she sounds more like a yogi than ias or doctor. clearly, you can see the defects of Indian education system after reading her book.