We selected "Engineering a Life" by Krishan K. Bedi on the advice of a friend from a publishing house. It is not that we don't like memoirs but our preferred genre is different. We had confidence in the advice of that friend. And our confidence was proved correct. The book turned out a wonderful treat for us.
Book Blurb
In December of 1961, twenty-year-old Krishna Bedi landed at a port in New York armed with only 300 dollar in his pocket and a resolve to study engineering in the United States. What transpired then is a story of one man's perseverance and determination to create the life he had always dreamed for himself as a little boy in India—a place where his options seemed anything but limitless. Krishna K. Bedi’s memoirs reflect the hardships and the triumphs on his path to fulfilling his dream of becoming an engineer and returning home to India as a successful man. A lesson in attitude, survival, perseverance and grit, Bedi brilliantly narrates the story of the immigrant experience, his close-knit relationships and enmeshing cultures—a story that not only affirms the American dream, but also resonates with millions.
Before I got to the content part, let me tell you our first impression of the book. As we are a big-time fan of hardbound books, we loved the design and format of the book. It is gonna be part of our hardbound display shelf.
Coming to the content, unlike today's students who got to the USA for higher studies with all background knowledge and emotional-financial support, in 1960 a young guy Bedi decided to get an engineering degree from the USA. He had almost no knowledge of what he was gonna face. He made his mind for that American dream. To support him his family took a loan. With 300 USD he reached America but life was not easy for him, from Rural India to Urban USA he saw a gigantic culter difference. He had to fight a war on all front (I didn't mean to fight with goons) He failed initially in college and dropped out. Worked with a local restaurant with no appreciation. It was his friendship with a professor that had helped him to stay focused and get recognized for his work. He got a degree in 1969 (almost 8-9 years after going to the USA) He came to India in 1971 and got married. He came back to states and then till 1991 stayed there working and achieving his dreams.
Our observations
- The book is written with simple language usage and lucid flow
- What the author went through can easily visualize through his words
- The light tone and humorous incidents give many interesting turns to the book
- Though many things given in a funny way, it shows the author's struggle in day-to-day life, his acceptance in society and his hard work and determination
- Those who don't like fiction, but love to read real-life stories can take this book
A perfect choice for corporate gifting. Would give 3.5/5 for this book.
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