Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India

A new India is visibly emerging from within the folds of its many pasts. This new India needs to be seen with new eyes, free from the baggage of yesterdays characterizations. This is exactly what Santosh Desai, one of Indias best-known social commentators, does in this warm, affectionate and deliciously witty look at the changing urban Indian middle class. Writing as an insider, from personal experience, Desai cuts through the chaos and confusion of everyday India both yesterday and today, and suddenly, makes us see things clearly. Holding a mirror to our inner selves, Desai makes us see what drives us, what makes us tick, what makes our hearts beat, and how our mindsets and attitudes are changing, even as the past never quite leaves us. And Desai does so in short masterful essays, written with great humour and sensitivity. A big book about small things that truly matter.

Santosh Desai, author of the book Mother Pious Lady: Making Sense of Everyday India and the columnist behind the long-running column ‘City City Bang Bang' in The Times of India, is regarded as one of India's leading social commentators. His work documents the changes India is going through, viewed from the lens of everyday life. In another life, he is one of India's foremost brand thinkers, having spent over two decades in advertising and eighteen years in brand consulting. He is also a founder at Think9 Consumer Technologies, a company that helps early-stage start-ups to scale up. He is a graduate in economics and a management graduate from IIM-Ahmedabad.