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That Makes Sense: The Onsite Chronicles
Everyone, except the ones with aerophobia, loves to fly and explore other nations. However, the happiness of going abroad on your employer’s funds is unmatched. For that matter, any materialistic pleasures on someone else’s money are always amusing in the first place. Who on earth doesn't love freebies? Indian-ness among Indians is stubborn. You can take a person out of India but you cannot take India out of a person, and the same happens when the author finds Indian anecdotes and reminiscences at every other step in the foreign country. The book is a collection of hilarious experiences of a typical IT army going onsite and enjoying their days in Indian attitude. The book unfolds the British culture and inadvertently compare it with ours. By the way, do you know the easiest way of impressing Brits? The gimmick is for their any statement, sensible or otherwise, and your response should not alter. It should always be the book title- that makes sense. Follow this and experience the magic yourself. Welcome to That Makes Sense, a bundle of joy furnished with satirical, thoughtful and whimsical plots served with a pinch of exaggeration covered with dark humour. About the Sandeep is a proud alumnus of IIT Bombay. Being an IITian, he is obliged to write something, and coincidently he likes to write. Besides writing, he loves to dance when no one is shooting, do stand-up comedy when everyone promised for laughing and travel abroad when someone else is paying. He is a keen observer, and that reflects in his writing. Currently, he lives in Pune and works in a software company for a living. Previously, he worked in Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore and of course London. Sandeep is a morning tea person. He makes beautiful tea daily exclusively for himself and drinks it too!
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 1, 2017
8 people are currently reading
23 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
April 21, 2018
A few months ago my goodreads friend Sandeep asked me if I’d like to read his book and since I’m curious by nature my immediate answer was “yes”.
So yeah, this is how I came to read “That Makes Sense” and after finishing the book I can say that I really enjoyed it! XD This is definitely not your usual read but I think in some way this was exactly what made it so entertaining. I’m so accustomed to YA and fantasy literature that a book about four guys that try to find their way in England was a really nice change.
I definitely liked them all but I think I liked Gowardhan the most! Haha! He had such an interesting outlook at life and his theories and comments were priceless. *lol*
”The thing I like and adore about Gowardhan is he is not afraid to admit something he doesn’t know. That’s courageous. I wonder why that can’t be contagious. What is better – to be smart or, to be honest?”
Another thing I truly appreciated was the way British culture was compared with Indian culture. In fact this book was actually kind of educational for me. XD I realised that Austrians and British people are pretty similar when it comes to their daily lives and that Indians seem to be completely different. *lol* But hey, I loved that they apparently have a nice culture of sarcasm and irony. =)) I think I’d get along with them well! Haha!
What else did I like? The hidden wisdom I found in this book. It wasn’t obvious but you could read it between the lines. ;-)
”Startups are so common that if you get an idea, there is always a startup working on it. “
”Okay. Anyway, let’s not make it an issue. We can share the one attached to my room.” Mr Sitharaman suggested. He is a married man. In fact, because of that, every problem looks trivial to him now.
That one resonated so much with me. *lol* I think you basically could say the same about people with kids. XD I’m sure everyone who’s a parent knows exactly what I mean. ;-P
All told I really liked “That Makes Sense” and if there is one thing that dampened my reading experience, then it was the fact that there unfortunately were so many grammar and spelling mistakes. It kind of made the book difficult to read and my inner teacher constantly wanted to correct them. Sorry, Sandeep! =(
Still, if you want to read something funny, short-lived and entertaining then “That Makes Sense” definitely is a good choice for you! ;-)
So yeah, this is how I came to read “That Makes Sense” and after finishing the book I can say that I really enjoyed it! XD This is definitely not your usual read but I think in some way this was exactly what made it so entertaining. I’m so accustomed to YA and fantasy literature that a book about four guys that try to find their way in England was a really nice change.
I definitely liked them all but I think I liked Gowardhan the most! Haha! He had such an interesting outlook at life and his theories and comments were priceless. *lol*
”The thing I like and adore about Gowardhan is he is not afraid to admit something he doesn’t know. That’s courageous. I wonder why that can’t be contagious. What is better – to be smart or, to be honest?”
Another thing I truly appreciated was the way British culture was compared with Indian culture. In fact this book was actually kind of educational for me. XD I realised that Austrians and British people are pretty similar when it comes to their daily lives and that Indians seem to be completely different. *lol* But hey, I loved that they apparently have a nice culture of sarcasm and irony. =)) I think I’d get along with them well! Haha!
What else did I like? The hidden wisdom I found in this book. It wasn’t obvious but you could read it between the lines. ;-)
”Startups are so common that if you get an idea, there is always a startup working on it. “
”Okay. Anyway, let’s not make it an issue. We can share the one attached to my room.” Mr Sitharaman suggested. He is a married man. In fact, because of that, every problem looks trivial to him now.
That one resonated so much with me. *lol* I think you basically could say the same about people with kids. XD I’m sure everyone who’s a parent knows exactly what I mean. ;-P
All told I really liked “That Makes Sense” and if there is one thing that dampened my reading experience, then it was the fact that there unfortunately were so many grammar and spelling mistakes. It kind of made the book difficult to read and my inner teacher constantly wanted to correct them. Sorry, Sandeep! =(
Still, if you want to read something funny, short-lived and entertaining then “That Makes Sense” definitely is a good choice for you! ;-)
November 26, 2017
This is my first review of a book.
After a long time, I finished a book in a day. I had taken a break from reading novels after I got bored with cliche so-called romantic novels.
This book is different. This is too good. This is an exceptional funnny read. The quality of humour is high. One liners are sweet and many times thoughtful. Highly recommended for dark humour lovers. Indian culture is well explained and criticized too wherever required in a fun-filled fashion.
If you are British, this is for you. The book has what others think of you. The things you too don't know about yourselves.
After a long time, I finished a book in a day. I had taken a break from reading novels after I got bored with cliche so-called romantic novels.
This book is different. This is too good. This is an exceptional funnny read. The quality of humour is high. One liners are sweet and many times thoughtful. Highly recommended for dark humour lovers. Indian culture is well explained and criticized too wherever required in a fun-filled fashion.
If you are British, this is for you. The book has what others think of you. The things you too don't know about yourselves.
December 16, 2017
I was given a free book in exchange for a review.
Totally enjoyed reading this book. Love the cover too.
Some books claim that they’re funny, but this book really was. The author can write, no doubt about that.
This is not my preferred genre, so naturally it was hard for me to get into the book at first. But, once I caught on, I felt comfortable around the characters and really enjoyed their story.
I, especially, liked Gowardhan’s character. I found him guileless and brave; adorable :)
At the end, when they all had to leave London, I was heartbroken.
The only issue was the language but still that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.
Definitely going to read more books by this author.
Totally enjoyed reading this book. Love the cover too.
Some books claim that they’re funny, but this book really was. The author can write, no doubt about that.
This is not my preferred genre, so naturally it was hard for me to get into the book at first. But, once I caught on, I felt comfortable around the characters and really enjoyed their story.
I, especially, liked Gowardhan’s character. I found him guileless and brave; adorable :)
At the end, when they all had to leave London, I was heartbroken.
The only issue was the language but still that didn’t stop me from enjoying the book.
Definitely going to read more books by this author.
November 19, 2017
The book is hilarious, sarcastic and witty. It's my latest thought immediately after the read.
I've worked in software industry and I can bet the descriptions, dialogues and people's thoughts are more than real and very well written in a humorous way. Who doesn't likes jokes on themselves? At least we, software professionals, do!
The comparison of Indian culture with that of British is exceptionally captured. The one liners are damn funny and unique. Most important thing to mention here is- the author has avoided the cliches. When I thought now there will be this joke (which was an obvious thought), there was an unusual turn of events which was lot more funnier than I thought.
The witty side of the book is- the drawbacks of cultures, both Indian and British, are bundled in a fun capsule. So, from outer it's fun but after giving a thought you know it's not exaggeration.
Recommended for humour lovers and British people to know what things they don't know about themselves!
I've worked in software industry and I can bet the descriptions, dialogues and people's thoughts are more than real and very well written in a humorous way. Who doesn't likes jokes on themselves? At least we, software professionals, do!
The comparison of Indian culture with that of British is exceptionally captured. The one liners are damn funny and unique. Most important thing to mention here is- the author has avoided the cliches. When I thought now there will be this joke (which was an obvious thought), there was an unusual turn of events which was lot more funnier than I thought.
The witty side of the book is- the drawbacks of cultures, both Indian and British, are bundled in a fun capsule. So, from outer it's fun but after giving a thought you know it's not exaggeration.
Recommended for humour lovers and British people to know what things they don't know about themselves!
November 14, 2017
The language of its own
The book is presented with a unique yet simple language. Indian anecdotes at most of the situations are perfect and can be related. Even though scenes are from foreign land, their hilarious comparison with ours surely brings a smile on our face.
Overall, entertaining & funny read for sure.
The book is presented with a unique yet simple language. Indian anecdotes at most of the situations are perfect and can be related. Even though scenes are from foreign land, their hilarious comparison with ours surely brings a smile on our face.
Overall, entertaining & funny read for sure.
November 23, 2017
It is a nice, refreshing story about 4 ppl went on their first onsite visit. The story is described from the point of view of a typical vegetarian Indian guy (IT Engineer indeed) facing issues in a foreign land, getting a victim of cultural clashes with his fellow-mates, fun, sarcasm, travel experiences and all other things we may face in day to day life.
A simple story narrated beautifully which can be related to any IT professional who went or preparing for an onsite visit soon.
A simple story narrated beautifully which can be related to any IT professional who went or preparing for an onsite visit soon.
March 29, 2018
That Makes Sense by Sandeep Pawar is a funny and actual account of a Indian IT guy experiencing his first onsite opportunity. It may seem like I’m repeating myself here, but I really love the cover! Beautiful! Let’s get straight to the review now, shall we?
The book begins with an exciting onsite opportunity to London given to four employees of an IT company. Apart from their experiences, the book also talks about anecdotes ranging from foods to the British behavior to religion to the Kohinoor. A humorous and engaging one, That Makes Sense is a short and casual read to entertain you when you need a quick change from your regular reads.
The writing was definitely an issue with me, kind of a put down actually. The narrative was in Indian English, I don’t mind that, but there were so many spelling and grammatical mistakes that I simply couldn’t ignore.
Nevertheless, the story was so witty and catchy that I just went ahead and had a good dose of laughter! In short, a funny read with lots of sarcasm that is sure to put a smile on your face when you’re done!
*** This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. ***
The book begins with an exciting onsite opportunity to London given to four employees of an IT company. Apart from their experiences, the book also talks about anecdotes ranging from foods to the British behavior to religion to the Kohinoor. A humorous and engaging one, That Makes Sense is a short and casual read to entertain you when you need a quick change from your regular reads.
The writing was definitely an issue with me, kind of a put down actually. The narrative was in Indian English, I don’t mind that, but there were so many spelling and grammatical mistakes that I simply couldn’t ignore.
Nevertheless, the story was so witty and catchy that I just went ahead and had a good dose of laughter! In short, a funny read with lots of sarcasm that is sure to put a smile on your face when you’re done!
*** This book was sent to me by the author in exchange for an honest review. ***
November 13, 2017
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." - Marcel Proust
Sandeep Pawar, an IIT Bombay aluminus, has penned down this book on his experiences in a foreign country like UK. The book is a collection of hilarious experiences of a typical IT guys going onsite (of course on employer's money) and enjoying their days in typical "Indian way".
The book unfolds the British culture and inadvertently compare it with ours. It is not just collection of experiences but critial analyses of few of the Indian and British traits as well.
Synopsis:
The book is about 4 IT guys (all of them with different background, mindset and expectations from new county) who got an opportunity to go to Britain onsite on the employer's money. The book revolves around their cultural shock, their experience- which is 180 degrees out of phase of what they expected. The story reolves around the ways all 4 guys tackle various "ackward" situations arose while they were trying to adjust on foreign soil.
Writing Style:
Writing style of Sandeep is observational and readers will easily get how keen observer he is. If any reader had been in the situation depicted in the book, he would easily revisit his memories and even admire Sandeep's magical observational power. There are many instances in the book which will make you burst in laughter even if you are reading this book on lonely weekend nights! The most important thing about Sandeep's writing is the ease with which he will make you travel to an unknown country sitting just in your living room with a hot tea!
Another strong point that goes in Author's favour are the hilarious instances that have been depicted in the most carzily hilarious way possible. Instances such as interview by a singapore firm or the debate on HRs duty in a software firm will be easily relatable to corporate guys.
Another point worth mentioning about author is his acquaintance with an Indian culture and his ability to compare it with foreign culture (alien culture you can say!) . The description about gestures indians use to communicate or be it about PAAN or food habits of vegetarian or hilarious description of panipuri will make your day for sure.
Overall, writing style is such that you will fall in love with the author!
Verdict:
Definitely a MUST READ. It is a book which not only cater to the expectations of "victim of foreign soil visit" but it will make others laugh and quite acquainted to British culture and etiquttes. A must read for all- whether you are a regulat IT guy, an IIT guy or someone going to visit an alien land soon!!
Courtesy:
Thank you Sandeep Pawar and Amazon Kindle for giving me opportunity to read and review this book.
Sandeep Pawar, an IIT Bombay aluminus, has penned down this book on his experiences in a foreign country like UK. The book is a collection of hilarious experiences of a typical IT guys going onsite (of course on employer's money) and enjoying their days in typical "Indian way".
The book unfolds the British culture and inadvertently compare it with ours. It is not just collection of experiences but critial analyses of few of the Indian and British traits as well.
Synopsis:
The book is about 4 IT guys (all of them with different background, mindset and expectations from new county) who got an opportunity to go to Britain onsite on the employer's money. The book revolves around their cultural shock, their experience- which is 180 degrees out of phase of what they expected. The story reolves around the ways all 4 guys tackle various "ackward" situations arose while they were trying to adjust on foreign soil.
Writing Style:
Writing style of Sandeep is observational and readers will easily get how keen observer he is. If any reader had been in the situation depicted in the book, he would easily revisit his memories and even admire Sandeep's magical observational power. There are many instances in the book which will make you burst in laughter even if you are reading this book on lonely weekend nights! The most important thing about Sandeep's writing is the ease with which he will make you travel to an unknown country sitting just in your living room with a hot tea!
Another strong point that goes in Author's favour are the hilarious instances that have been depicted in the most carzily hilarious way possible. Instances such as interview by a singapore firm or the debate on HRs duty in a software firm will be easily relatable to corporate guys.
Another point worth mentioning about author is his acquaintance with an Indian culture and his ability to compare it with foreign culture (alien culture you can say!) . The description about gestures indians use to communicate or be it about PAAN or food habits of vegetarian or hilarious description of panipuri will make your day for sure.
Overall, writing style is such that you will fall in love with the author!
Verdict:
Definitely a MUST READ. It is a book which not only cater to the expectations of "victim of foreign soil visit" but it will make others laugh and quite acquainted to British culture and etiquttes. A must read for all- whether you are a regulat IT guy, an IIT guy or someone going to visit an alien land soon!!
Courtesy:
Thank you Sandeep Pawar and Amazon Kindle for giving me opportunity to read and review this book.
December 2, 2017
A book which keeps you engaged... Incidents has been presented awesomely ... A masterpiece from a young writer...
A must read piece of art...
A must read piece of art...
December 1, 2017
Fabulous
This book is great.
Hilarious, informative and of course due to presence of Govardhan it's excellent read.
One of the best book I have read.
This book is great.
Hilarious, informative and of course due to presence of Govardhan it's excellent read.
One of the best book I have read.
May 12, 2019
Review by folioscent
👁️🗨️My reviews:-
▪️The book is entertaining and amazing.
▪️ Writing skills of the author is good and simple.
▪️The story is engaging and never boring.
▪️The author unwraps iit and it fields incredibly.
▪️If you are from it field or iitian then the book is for you, as it will help you refresh your memories and incidents while this book.
▪️Recommended to all, go grab your copy.
👁️🗨️Rating :- ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
👁️🗨️My reviews:-
▪️The book is entertaining and amazing.
▪️ Writing skills of the author is good and simple.
▪️The story is engaging and never boring.
▪️The author unwraps iit and it fields incredibly.
▪️If you are from it field or iitian then the book is for you, as it will help you refresh your memories and incidents while this book.
▪️Recommended to all, go grab your copy.
👁️🗨️Rating :- ☀️☀️☀️☀️☀️
November 13, 2020
I found it okay. Had to drop at the 70% mark because I lost interest.
The author talks about his experiences when he was in London. A very interesting topic and a couple of observations were funny and surprising. For example his apartment in London has a open commode without any walls. And there were a number of interesting things to note which nobody ever writes about like the problems with vegetarian food, the mannerisms which are unique to UK etc.
I felt that some of the discussions were juvenile. I can somewhat relate to those discussions back in the days when I was new to the industry. But now they don't interest me.
The grammar is bad throughout the book and becomes distracting after a while. It would be great if an ordinary grammar checker is used, like MS Word. Nevertheless, since the idea behind the book was interesting I read it till the 70% mark.
I also feel that the author's views are quite biased towards his/our own country. He's obviously never lived outside his state or among people who speak another language (inside India). If he did then he would have encountered several things that would have changed his opinions about Indian festivals, friendliness, Indian food etc. I have changed states inside India multiple times and have learnt things that invalidates more than half of the opinions expressed in the book (hence I felt that it was quite immature).
For example, I've seen that there are very few gems among people who will get friendly with people from other states. You can live inside India and still feel like an outsider because everyone around you will expect you to absorb their state's culture otherwise see you in a bad way. Not all states have this but the many of them do.
Next, talking about food, there are many times when the author expresses how superior our Indian cuisine is. But you know what? You prefer your own cuisine no matter where you go (even inside our country). If you migrate to another state and live there for a while you will long for your own food that you're habituated to. Our taste buds are developed to like what we have grown up eating. There is no one cuisine that is "good" and that others are "bad". This is why most of the opinions expressed in the book feels immature and childish. That's not a bad thing. There are many to whom this book would appeal because they're going through that phase in life where they believe their own opinions / likes to be the "only right things to like".
By the 70% mark I couldn't take it anymore. The book has little to do with "working onsite" AKA the differences in the working style and more to do with just "onsite". It's got a lot of superficial differences.
Instead, this book could have been a load better if the author had gotten close with a couple of Brits and tried to learn their living style and then made comparisons. Currently, as it stands, many of the comparisons given in the book (like a lot of please / thank you's / sorry's / PDAs / health and fitness) are things that you observe within the first few minutes of being in any foreign country.
But you need to go deeper than that. What things do they think about. What are their dreams like typically? Is there anything that they're unhappy / regretful about? What happens if you tell them about their history of colonization? How do they feel about that? What do they feel about their city / things they dream about / hate. What is their typical life like? These things can only be answered by trying to blend-in with some foreigners, spending time actually trying to know their ways and then making comparisons after you've spent enough time with them.
The author talks about his experiences when he was in London. A very interesting topic and a couple of observations were funny and surprising. For example his apartment in London has a open commode without any walls. And there were a number of interesting things to note which nobody ever writes about like the problems with vegetarian food, the mannerisms which are unique to UK etc.
I felt that some of the discussions were juvenile. I can somewhat relate to those discussions back in the days when I was new to the industry. But now they don't interest me.
The grammar is bad throughout the book and becomes distracting after a while. It would be great if an ordinary grammar checker is used, like MS Word. Nevertheless, since the idea behind the book was interesting I read it till the 70% mark.
I also feel that the author's views are quite biased towards his/our own country. He's obviously never lived outside his state or among people who speak another language (inside India). If he did then he would have encountered several things that would have changed his opinions about Indian festivals, friendliness, Indian food etc. I have changed states inside India multiple times and have learnt things that invalidates more than half of the opinions expressed in the book (hence I felt that it was quite immature).
For example, I've seen that there are very few gems among people who will get friendly with people from other states. You can live inside India and still feel like an outsider because everyone around you will expect you to absorb their state's culture otherwise see you in a bad way. Not all states have this but the many of them do.
Next, talking about food, there are many times when the author expresses how superior our Indian cuisine is. But you know what? You prefer your own cuisine no matter where you go (even inside our country). If you migrate to another state and live there for a while you will long for your own food that you're habituated to. Our taste buds are developed to like what we have grown up eating. There is no one cuisine that is "good" and that others are "bad". This is why most of the opinions expressed in the book feels immature and childish. That's not a bad thing. There are many to whom this book would appeal because they're going through that phase in life where they believe their own opinions / likes to be the "only right things to like".
By the 70% mark I couldn't take it anymore. The book has little to do with "working onsite" AKA the differences in the working style and more to do with just "onsite". It's got a lot of superficial differences.
Instead, this book could have been a load better if the author had gotten close with a couple of Brits and tried to learn their living style and then made comparisons. Currently, as it stands, many of the comparisons given in the book (like a lot of please / thank you's / sorry's / PDAs / health and fitness) are things that you observe within the first few minutes of being in any foreign country.
But you need to go deeper than that. What things do they think about. What are their dreams like typically? Is there anything that they're unhappy / regretful about? What happens if you tell them about their history of colonization? How do they feel about that? What do they feel about their city / things they dream about / hate. What is their typical life like? These things can only be answered by trying to blend-in with some foreigners, spending time actually trying to know their ways and then making comparisons after you've spent enough time with them.
January 30, 2018
I enjoyed reading this book. The humor kept me going. The Author must have worked a lot more on editing this book properly. it had too many mistakes for a book. A light read and a humorous one at that.
June 27, 2019
One star only for the relatable content I read till 4th chapter. I couldn't go on because there were too many grammatical errors to continue. I mean..... No. Goes into my DNF list.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews