Exec Policy
Guess which new book has hit the bestseller lists? Tata executive director R. Gopalakrishnan's The Case of the Bonsai Manager. It has sold over 6,000 copies within a week of its launch. His is a business model other corporate honchos with literary ambitions would do well to follow. First, get your company to sponsor the launch at a five-star, with a vip to release the book, and lavish cocktails to follow (Gopalakrishnan had the Taj pull out all stops and Bimal Jalan to do the honours). Then, get your company's minions to buy a copy each—and voila, you have a bestseller!
A Bait For Mr Fisher
After a sleepy start, publishing giant Random House is finally finding its feet in India. It's already poached Mark Tully from Penguin, and Mughal-era historian Michael Fisher from Permanent Black. Their lure: fatter advances, glossier production values.
