The BOOK that inspired me

The most inspirational book I've read is Sir Richard Branson's Losing My Virginity. A must-read for entrepreneurs, it sparkles with practical advice, wit and Branson's legendary flamboyance. What makes the story more real for me is that it's not a typical rags-to-riches tale (which can sound both clichéd and implausible after a while).

He did not live a life of penury and had a fairly regular middle-class upbringing, hence becoming all the more relatable to the middle-class Indian. But the manner and scale in which he built his business and brand from scratch is truly awe-inspiring and motivational.

His narrative precludes the notion that successful businesses can only be launched with the right venture capital, showcasing instead his success, which was built on the platform of strong ideas, a great team, lots of hard work and a fair bit of chutzpah.

The book has some sterling examples of taking the right business decisions at the right time, playing by the gut, parting ways with old colleagues, poor business decisions and standing up to what's right in the face of adversity (in the form of big competition). I find these are all very practical issues that one faces in running organisations of any size. The guerrilla war with British Airways is a case study for small businesses trying to defend their turf from big corporations.

The underlying message (for me) is around believing in yourself, working with a good team, not shying away from taking risks, building a corporate culture around fun and devoting quality time to the family. In some ways, this is the culture that pervades MakeMyTrip and makes us such an interesting company to be in.

The author's risk-taking abilities extend to the personal front in the form of his air-balloon adventures and resonate with my ongoing quest to raft all the big rivers in India and abroad.

Sachin Bhatia, Co-founder, MakeMyTrip

LOSING MY VIRGINITY
Author: Richard Branson
Publisher: Virgin Books
Pages: 624,
Price: Rs 350
ISBN: 0753513005

BOOKWORM
The top 10 business bestsellers

THE FUTURE OF COMPETITION: CO-CREATING UNIQUE VALUE WITH CUSTOMERS
Authors: C K Prahalad and Venkat Ramaswamy
Publisher: Penguin Books India
Price: Rs 395
ISBN: 0143061909

THE HIGH-PERFORMANCE ENTREPRENEUR
Author: Subroto Bagchi
Publisher: Penguin Books India
Price: Rs 395
ISBN: 0670999180

LEADERSHIP AND SELF-DECEPTION
Author: Arbinger Institute
Publisher: Pub Group West
Price: Rs 732
ISBN: 1576751740

GENERAL THEORY OF EMPLOYMENT, INTEREST AND MONEY
Author: John Maynard Keynes
Publisher: Atlantic
Price: Rs 275
ISBN: 8126906588

CONNECTED MARKETING
Authors: Justin Kirby and Paul Marsden
Publisher: Elsevier
Price: Rs 395
ISBN: 8131207595

RETAIL MANAGEMENT: FUNCTIONAL PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES
Author: Gibson G Vedamani
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
Price: Rs 295
ISBN: 8179921514

100 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS A SUCCESS
Author: Neil Bromage
Publisher: Jaico Publishing House
Price: Rs 195
ISBN: 8179923649

THE INTELLIGENT INVESTOR
Author: Benjamin Graham
Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: Rs 501
ISBN: 9780060555665

THE 10 KEYS TO SUCCESS
Author: John Bird
Publisher: Rc
Price: Rs 87
ISBN: 9780091923822

RISK MANAGEMENT
Authors: IIBF
Publisher: Macmillan India
Price: Rs 220
ISBN: 9781403926661

List provided by
www.bsbazaar.com/books