Billionaires on the books that have had an impact on them and the ones they keep going back to
Anil Rai Gupta
Chairman and MD, Havells India
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, the 1936 bestseller, is like my constant friend that has helped carve me into the individual I am. It forever reminds me of my father [Qimat Rai Gupta] who embodied every quality that Carnegie recommended, and pens down all those values—that my father always taught me—so beautifully. It has been a strong force in enhancing my interpersonal skills and professional capabilities, and is a strategy guide to success, both inside and outside the workplace. I read this book once every year, create my own CliffsNotes and keep reviewing them.
Currently, I am reading The Last Spring: The Saga of the Great Mughals by Abraham Eraly. I have been an avid reader of Indian history since the prime years of my life. The best part about reading history is that facts speak for themselves. What makes me want to read more and more about history and, in particular, dynasties is the opportunity to learn from their successes and failures, hits and misses, managing a family business and enduring legacies. I am halfway through the book and the magnificent illustrations of the grandeur of the Mughal Empire do not cease to fascinate me. Eraly has written on various ages of Indian history and it’s fascinating to read his works.
— As told to Neeraj Gangal
(This story appears in the 29 December, 2017 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)