“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.” – Helen Keller
Hello All, welcome to another review of the second part of my novel “9 to 5 Cubicle Tales – A Race Against Time.” Today we have meet up with Mr. Rajesh Manuja.
1. Did you find the title/sub-title of the book meaningful? Why or why not?
Yes it was relevant – for Hridaan had to achieve a Goal – and it became even more relevant in the last 4-5 chapters as well!
2. What did you think of the book’s writing style and content structure?
The book had a very lucid writing style, which made it easy to understand and relate to the circumstances. The situations were so vividly described that I could imagine them in 3D.
3. Which location in the book would you most like to visit and why?
The Stone Mountain as it seemed like a really exciting place to visit. Specially the train ride, the sky ride and the view from the top of stone Mountain. I am also curious to find out why Hridaan felt woozy there. It is definitely something I look forward to Visiting for sure.
4. Does the book showcase relationships that seem relatable? Was there any relationship that stood out?
Yes, the book showcases relatable relationships. Besides Hridaan’s relationship with his Sister, his Friendship with Nijin stood out very well. Their Banter and PJ’s and the way they helped each other during each ones tough times, stood out for sure.
5. How did the book make you feel? What emotions did it evoke?
The book evoked feelings of excitement and friendship, with a bit of a roller coaster towards the end when Hridaan was so close to his goal but not quite there yet.
6. What are the key takeaways from the book?
One of the key takeaways from the book is perseverance. Once Hridaan made up his mind to achieve anything – From ideas for the company vision/goal, to handling the idiosyncrasies of his onsite manager to being the Chef (an Experimental one at that) – He made sure he dedicated himself to the goal (or the task) to achieve it !!
7. What was your favorite part/chapter of the book?
My favorite part of the book was the Excuse Artist. It was so funny, and I could actually relate it to one of my friends who always has a convincing excuse for everything he doesn’t want to do
8. Can you describe the book using five words/adjectives?
Adventurous: Quiet a bit of Adventures covered there, besides the Stone Mountain Visit !!
Thrilling: The Race against time especially the last 5 chapters made that very thrilling and boy – there are a lot of twists and turns in that final sequence.
Overall, its adventurous, thrilling, exciting, relatable, and funny.
9. If you got the chance to ask the author of this book one question, what would it be?
I would like to ask the author about his reaction to his Onsite managers comment of “Not my responsibility” and then again when finally the client approved his Extension !!
10. Were you satisfied with the story ending? If you weren’t, how would you resolve things differently?
The ending is a cliffhanger which left me eager to read the next book in the 9 to 5 series. The first two books have been edge-of-the-seat experiences.
11. What would you say to persuade a friend to read it or not to read it?
For all my IT friends: This book will give you a glimpse of Hridaan’s Professional Life, especially the US Experiences in a very relatable way.
For the newcomers: It will prepare you for an exciting Journey in the IT world.
12. What do you think of the book’s cover? How well does it convey what the book is about?
The book’s cover is well-designed and conveys the theme of a race against various deadlines in our personal and professional worlds.
13. What feedback would you give the author?
I would encourage the author to continue writing books that people can relate to and also share your feelings in the book as in some cases they seem hidden in the Silence.
14. What would you like to read in the sequel?
I would obviously like to learn if Hridaan was able to overcome the hurdle to reach the goal he set for him and then how he has progressed in his Career.
15. Tell us more about yourself.
Rajesh Manuja is a Technology professional with 30+ years of experience in the IT Industries in domains such as Banking and Financial services, Manufacturing and Healthcare. Views are entirely Personal.
Grab a copy of the Kindle/Print version via Amazon. The print version in India can also be ordered from the Pothi (the publisher).
