Book Review: "I Too had a Dream" by Verghese Kurien

I enjoyed reading Verghese Kurien's memoir "I Too had a Dream" (written in association with Gauri Salvi). It is one of the finest autobiographies I've read. It is well-paced, engaging and light-hearted. The writing flows so well that you can visualize the adventures of the Amul man as if it were a movie. The book talks about numerous twists and travails in the life of Kurien, a Syrian Christian from Kerala who studied in the US to be a metallurgy engineer but ended up in a remote village in Gujarat to start a revolution in the dairy industry in India.

Verghese Kurien is an inspiring figure - he was bold, irreverent & autocratic. He was not afraid of take up cudgels against the high and mighty. He is instrumental in making India the largest producer of milk & achieving self-sufficiency.

The book in a way also tells us the story of India, its politics and bureaucracy. India needs more like Verghese Kurien's ilk and success stories like Amul & Anand.

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