Nothing About Business

by Harjeet Khanduja

'Nothing about Business' is a collection of 99 micro stories from daily life that make perfect business sense.

Harjeet Khanduja brilliantly encapsulates his entire 45 years of life experience and 25 years of corporate experience into delectable byte-sized stories that will change the way you live and work!

The witty tales of 'Nothing about Business' will prove without a doubt that, in the end, complex business concepts all come down to understanding people.

Grab your copy of 'Nothing about Busines's because it promises 'No heavy gyan'. But be warned, each little story will make you think, offering unique business perspectives into relatable, everyday situations. It may even leave you wondering, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Stories compiled in 'Nothing about Business' were originally written for LinkedIn, and were loved by millions of users - quickly elevating Harjeet Khanduja's profile to a LinkedIn power profile. Nothing about Business is a curated collection of the best and most loved of these stories.

117 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2020

About the author

Harjeet Khanduja is an author, speaker, inventor, influencer and a HR leader. He is also known as RK Laxman of Business. He currently serves as Senior Vice President, HR at Reliance Jio and has held positions at Tata Motors, Nicholas Piramal, Reliance Retail and Anthelio. Khanduja is also known for his TEDx talks and lectures at IIMs and IITs inspiring the youth. He is considered as a leader in human resource technology and hold four patents on HR Technology.

Khanduja has also written stories in books, Chicken Soup for an IITian’s soul and is a contributing writer for several magazines including People Matters, Business Manager, SightsinPlus, Education Post, Human Factor, IT Next, and People and Management. He has contributed to a book named "Touched by Parkinsons" and got featured in “Heroes Amongst Us”, an inspirational book by Dr. Amit Nagpal, depicting real life stories of ordinary people who achieved extraordinary success.

Reviews

[Amisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The uniqueness of this book lies in the tone of the narration by the author. He does have a straightforward and witty way of writing, which would make the readers smile at his sense of humor.
The approach of the author is very optimistic in nature. 
The only thing that I regretted while reading this book was that some stories felt a bit disconnected. It felt as if some more words were needed to extract the meaning but sadly it couldn’t be interpreted.
Nonetheless, the language was simple throughout the book and it seemed that it would be more enjoyed by people who are college students and/or working professionals.
Overall, this was an enjoyable read and is a very useful Handbook, to lift your mood as well as imbibing some stress-free, modern life insights in the garb of light-hearted humor

[iamprabaltandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

#qotd: What's the name of the country where ( The Hunger Games ) books take place?

All Management Starts With Self _ Management Which Is The Definition Of Internations, Actions To Be Taken And Qualifying To Those Actions.



As I started reading this book, I kept oscillating between giving it a 4 or 3 star out of 5 but ended up giving it a 4.5 star ✳️.
Language of the book is very simple, easy to understand English.
I usually like to read short stories book and my reading habit is hit badly after using too much social media sites.
After completely reading of this good work of excitement ( I don't need to call it a book, )
It is just like the motivational conversation between family and the author write 📝 this book as per conversational manner.
My favourite topic from this is
✍ PERFORMANCE AND REWARDS
✍ HUMAN AND TECHNOLOGY
✍ MANAGING WORK

....... ETC

Like it or not, you’re the role model for your employees. On one hand, it means that you’re always under the magnifying glass, but being the role model is a powerful management tool. –

Jayme Broudy

THIS book is just like self-help motivational, self-development book.
In the form of short stories or conversation, the author teaches many lessons with some examples and many self-development quotes, good things for a fulfilling happy contended in life.
It is a simple happy reading book of fewer than 150 pages and a third which have many useful and important quotes.
I highly recommend this book for everyone who wants to learn these concepts in a simple conversational manner like ( leadership, how to create engagement in professional life, management requirement etc)

Don't just read this book but also follow the important (thoughts/quotes) in your daily life.
I really like to thanks to the author for writing this amazing book.

Happy reading : )
Thank you all

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of micro fiction that teaches a lot with its few but impactful words and meaning.

This book completely caught me by surprise. When I read the title and blurb, I was ready for few business jargons and stories, but what I really got was some clear cut facts that fits hand in glove with extremely well thought out stories. This book can teach you business perspectives. Yes, it definitely breaks down some complex ideas of business and gives you a glimpse of what business world expects from you and what you should expect from the business world in return. However, personally, I feel it is more than just that. If you have the right knack to understand stories then there are few things that can be applied in our everyday life as well.

The stories, only as long as micro fiction, are very relatable that it might even be something that could have happened to one of us. It is all about how we are able to learn a lesson from our day to day life and author proves to be a brilliant man by explaining such difficult theories very easily.

The structure of the book is impeccable. The cover as well as the title indeed suits the book. It is a very quick read. I completed it in one sitting.

Irrespective of if you are an employee or employer or self employed or student or anyone who likes to gain insights of business world, this book is definitely for you.

Some quotes from book

Smart lights saved 9 minutes of my life What I did with them is a issue

People can tolerate defeat NOT unfair treatment

Culture describes “the way things work around here.”

Sometimes, things that don’t matter, are the only things that matter.

#AI brings efficiency Life is much beyond efficiency #diversity

...

[Amrita Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

"We see the world, not as it is, but as we are" – Stephen Covey
.
.
🌸'Nothing about Business' is a quick fun read, as well as motivating!
.
🌸It's basically a collection of 99 micro tales plucked out from daily life, and a fact file correlating each tale. I found it really helpful, from author's own life experiences he shares many tips and tricks to do well at work, also in day to day life.
.
🌸I especially loved the way the tales are told, all are unique, sharp and witty, some came as a surprise and left me smiling. I couldn't help but to complete it in a go. I realised, in some way the tales helped in every suggestion being effective.
.
🌸It was such a good read.

[Nisarg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing about business is a fantastic read. As a student who has always been intrigued by the corporate culture, this book provides wonderful insight in the form of stories. The prose is phenomenal and this is a book that I highly recommend!

[Satyajeet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I generally don't enjoy reading as much as some others do, but this book had me with its short stories and simple language. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and I'm looking forward to more books from the author.

[Santosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Final verdict,

book worth your time; grab a copy and read it.

You can find my review of the book here...

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/nothin...

[Ajita · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shortest Way to deliver proper message

Loved the way author has expressed his experience and findings in such a consolidated and to the point way using daily life examples.
Great work..can be read again and again..

[Sanjeeb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Haiku for Corporate wisdom

Easy to read. Easier to grasp. The fact files along side the stories put the stories in right context. I recommend whole heartedly

[Vivek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional Insights

Ravi asked
I want to become a business leader
What to I do

Raj said
Start with Nothing about Business
It'll help you

;)

[ravinder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book

Multiple corporate learning's explained in simple and short stories.
Thank you Sir for publishing and looking forward for more.
Regards,

[Rahul kachhara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing like small meaningful quotes!

Everyone should read it. Life lessons with a management aspect. Everyday things which are food for thought! Absolutely loved it.

[Prabhash Gokarn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compilation of lovely short stories that Harjeet posts on Linkedin about managing human relationships in the industry and beyond. Good, easy fast read

[Amanbeer · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book to read with each story telling a compelling lesson.

[Aniket Sri · Rating 5 out of 5]

An awesome book with 99 micro stories. They are relatable. Simple to read. Each story is a gem. There are a few stories which are very deep in the meaning. All in all a fun read.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harjeet Khanduja’s Nothing About Business is one of those deceptively titled books that disarms you before it teaches you anything.

The first time I picked it up, I remember expecting a conventional management or leadership manual—structured, prescriptive, formulaic. Instead, what arrived was an unexpectedly warm, witty, and humane collection of insights that roam freely between personal reflections, workplace anecdotes, philosophical puzzles, and gentle provocations about how we live and work.

It reminded me of those rare teachers who begin class with a joke or a story, but by the end of the hour have quietly rearranged your understanding of something essential.

Khanduja’s greatest strength is his tone: unpretentious, conversational, and effortlessly metaphorical. You never feel preached to. Instead, you feel as if someone has opened a window in a stuffy office, letting in air that is both refreshing and surprisingly fragrant.

His writing drifts between humour and humility in a way that makes even the sharpest insights feel accessible. There’s something profoundly democratic about his approach—one that suggests that wisdom isn’t confined to boardrooms or MBA textbooks but found in overheard conversations, family stories, small irritations, and sudden epiphanies.

What makes the book memorable is the way Khanduja subverts the reader’s expectations. He calls the book Nothing About Business, yet by doing so, he reveals everything about the human beings who constitute business—their quirks, fears, confusions, desires, and contradictions.

His philosophy is simple: before we can understand systems, strategies, or leadership models, we must learn how to understand ourselves. It’s this focus on interiority—on the psychology rather than the machinery of the corporate world—that gives the book its staying power.

In many ways, the book reminded me of those early encounters I had with anecdotal wisdom literature—Og Mandino, Gibran, or even the unexpectedly soft moments in Dale Carnegie. Khanduja’s voice shares something with them: a belief that the lessons worth learning are often hiding in plain sight.

But unlike so many motivational writers, he avoids overstatement. His stories stay delightfully grounded. They talk about spilt tea, office gossip, bad meetings, unspoken feelings, and embarrassing mistakes—and through them, the book becomes a mirror. You begin to see your own life refracted in each chapter.

One of the pleasures of Nothing About Business is its rhythm. Khanduja structures the book like a series of soft punches: brief observations that end with a twist, a moment of irony, or a question that lingers like the aftertaste of ginger. I found myself pausing after many sections, not because they were difficult, but because they were unexpectedly truthful.

There is an honesty here that avoids cynicism without becoming naïve. Khanduja understands the absurdity of corporate life—the performative enthusiasm, the miscommunications, the ego battles—but he handles it with tenderness rather than bitterness.

Stylistically, he writes with a light hand but a steady gaze. The sentences feel like they’ve been edited by someone who values clarity over ornamentation. And yet, there is poetry in his simplicity. He knows when to pause. He knows when a short line can land harder than a long one. He understands how humour can soften the blow of self-reflection.

Personally, the book made me look back at my own early professional days—those chaotic, energetic years of learning by failing, of absorbing unspoken rules, of pretending to understand acronyms. Khanduja captures that feeling with uncanny accuracy: the sense that work is never entirely about work. It is about people negotiating their own frightened or hopeful selves in proximity to other frightened or hopeful selves. It is about the stories we tell to make sense of the roles we play.

What gives Nothing About Business its enduring charm is this reminder: human life resists compartmentalisation. We cannot divide ourselves into personal and professional selves as neatly as HR manuals pretend. Our joys leak into our meetings. Our fears colour our decisions. Our past traumas shape our leadership styles. Khanduja embraces this messy interconnectedness with warmth and humour.

Ultimately, the book is less a guidebook and more a companion—a gentle, wise voice that sits beside you, nudging you to notice the small truths that accumulate into a life.

Nothing About Business is, ironically, one of the most insightful books about work I’ve read, precisely because it refuses to restrict itself to that domain.

It looks at the human being instead of the job description—and in doing so, it reveals the real machinery that keeps every workplace running.

[Mihir Gosalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book for management enthusiasts. The author delivers strong impactful messages in his own short witty storytelling style just like the tales of Akbar and Birbal. The message will stay with you forever. The book is easy to read also and will make you keep coming back for more. I would liken the stories and the messages in this book, the way it's written and conveyed to the You Said It series by R K Laxman. Just go for it and read the book.