Books, Conversations and an Evening Before Independence Day

On the evening of 14 August, a day before Independence Day, I was at Thamel on Arjun Marg in DLF Phase 1, Gurgaon, for a book club organised by All Things Fun.

The format was simple: everyone brought along a book and spoke about what they were reading.

I had brought Problem Solving 101: A Simple Book for Smart People by Ken Watanabe.

Watanabe, a former McKinsey consultant, originally wrote the book for Japanese schoolchildren to introduce them to structured problem-solving and critical thinking. Through simple illustrations and examples, it explains ideas such as breaking a problem into smaller parts, identifying root causes and moving from analysis to action.

At the All Things Fun book club gathering at Thamel, Gurgaon.

I spoke about how I have been trying to apply some of these ideas to my own work and processes. The book is deceptively simple, but that is also what makes it useful. Problems often feel much larger until you start breaking them down into things you can actually understand and act upon.

The rest of the evening had plenty of little moments that made it memorable.

Someone had brought a signed copy of Phil Knight’s Shoe Dog, which understandably attracted some attention. Someone else had a rather clever portable fan connected to a power bank, an extremely useful accessory for Gurgaon in August.

There was also a fun prompt around Richie Rich: if you had an extraordinary amount of money as a child, what would you spend it on?

The answers ranged from instant food on demand to collections of cars and luxury watches. Nothing particularly serious, but exactly the kind of question that gets a table full of people talking.

That, for me, is one of the nicest things about book clubs.

Problem Solving 101 by Ken Watanabe, the book I brought to the gathering.

Reading itself is usually solitary. Events like these make it social. You get to explain what you are reading, hear about books you may never have discovered yourself, and perhaps get a little extra motivation to finish the book sitting on your bedside table.

I would love to see more such communities across Gurgaon, Delhi and NCR. A stronger reading culture isn't built only through bookstores and book sales. It also comes from people creating spaces where books become a reason to meet, talk and exchange ideas.

This evening was one small example of that.

All Things Fun organises book clubs and several other events across Delhi NCR. If you would like to explore their upcoming gatherings, you can find them at allthingsfun.in.