Title : Earning The Laundry Stripes
Author : Manreet Sodhi Someshwar
Pages : 300
Genre : Fiction
Publisher : Rupa Publications
ISBN : 978 129 109811
If you want to see what versatility means, read Manreet's books. I mean it. I have read all three books by her now and I know what I am talking about here. She has penned down a thriller, The Taj Conspiracy, which is still ruling the bestsellers list, a book full of emotions, The Long Walk Home, my favourite book and Earning The Laundry Stripes, a witty take on the life of an IIM Calcutta graduate and her sales stints in an all boys club.
Earning The Laundry Stripes happened pretty late to me. I ordered the book few days back and got it last evening only and I started on with it. Absolute page turner and if you are by chance a management graduate (which I am not), you are surely going to enjoy the read. And if you are into Sales field, you would completely relate with the book. I am saying this because one of my very good friend is currently working as a factory manager in one of the leading FMCG ( Fast Moving Consumer Goods ) of India and during his training days as a management trainee, he did all that what has been written in this book. He used to call me up and rant his guts out about whatever he was going through back then.
The book opens with tensions related to placements session in IIMC. Noor Bhalla, the protagonist of the book goes through some unexpected adventures during this tenure and lands herself in a sales job at HLL (Hindustan Lever). A well educated lady from Firozpur, Punjab lands up in Nagpur, Maharashtra for her first sales stint as a TSI and there begins an adventurous roller coaster ride for her which sounds so true. Once you get the hang of the book, it turns out to be a complete page turner, that is witty and practical at times.
Noor moves to different cities for her training and that included a month long stint in Bombay too. I must not forget to mention here, there is a beautiful poem in the book about Bombay. I wanted to share it here, but I won't because then you would buy the book. If you love Bombay, buy the book to read that poem. (Am I trying to pitch a sales thingy here ?) :P
Manreet's writing impressed me as usual. I love her books so I might sound a bit biased here but who cares. I book is definitely a light read that you would enjoy and for management graduates who are planning to land up in the excruciating yet exciting field of Sales, this book is a must read. I am sure Manreet, being an IIM alumni and an ex-HLL employee has put in her personal experiences too in there.
Book Source : Personal Copy
This reminds me of another book. Try reading 'I am not twenty four" .. I reviewed the book on ALOP last year. Unexpectedly it turned out to be good :)
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of another book. Try reading 'I am not twenty four" .. I reviewed the book on ALOP last year. Unexpectedly it turned out to be good :)
ReplyDeleteI am gonna read that review now :)
ReplyDelete