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Games Indians Play: Why We Are the Way We Are
 
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Games Indians Play: Why We Are the Way We Are (Hardcover)

by V. Raghunathan (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)


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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Why are we a nation that is individually so smart and collectively so naive? Why do we mistake talk for action? Why is our self-worth massaged only if we have the 'authority' to break rules? Why are we among the world's most corrupt? Why do we jump red lights? Why do we dump our garbage at the neighbour's doorstep?...Can it be our climate, population density, poverty, colonial past or even genetic encoding? In a rare attempt to understand the Indianness of Indians - perhaps the most intelligent people in the world, but also, to a dispassionate eye, among the most baffling - V. Raghunathan uses the props of game theory and behavioural economics to provide an insight into this most difficult question: why are we the way we are? Raghunathan tackles the question by putting under the scanner our attitudes towards rationality and irrationality, egotism and selfishness, our penchant for antagonism and competition, and our aversion to collaboration and cooperation.

About the Author
V. Raghunathan was an academic for nearly two decades, at IIM, Ahmedabad. In 2001 he joined the corporate world as president of ING Vysya Bank. At present he is a member of the top management in the GMR Group, an infrastructure major. Raghunathan has written over 350 academic papers and popular articles, and five books in the field of finance and investments. He also writes a regular guest column for the Economic Times.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 170 pages
  • Publisher: Penguin Books (January 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0670999407
  • ISBN-13: 978-0670999408
  • Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #337,608 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

10 Reviews
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 (4)
4 star:
 (2)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
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Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (10 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars Right title; wrong sub-title, March 30, 2008
By Sheetal Bahl (New Delhi, India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book is about "Games Indians Play" - no doubt about that. The author spares no opportunity available to go on endlessly about the million games they play and the million wrong things they do. And then he finds more opportunities to the same. What he does not do anywhere, however, in the book, is to explain "why we are the way we are". Every time he gets anywhere close to having to explain, he conveniently dives into game theory and other tools, recounts some interesting problems, draws some analogies, and then sneaks away nonchalantly hoping that nobody would notice his getaway. This could have worked, if the analogies were not largely focused on the outcomes instead of the causes and if they could have allowed for segregation of Indian behaviour from universal behaviour. As an example, the author draws the conclusion that Indians behave like "squealers" because it is the rational and intelligent thing to as shown by the "simple prisoner's dilemma". Thereafter, he casually also mentions that this behaviour is universally applicable and not just to Indians, and then goes onto say "But what is striking is that, in most situations, we Indians do not even see the dilemma. Defection seems to be our natural setting." And that's it. So where, Mr.Raghunathan, is the blinding insight about why we "do not even see the dilemma" or why we are different from the rest of the world? Is it our history, our geography, our genes, or something else? Why don't I see any mention of causal factors in this book? And when there are causal factors, why are they always universally applicable and never specific to Indians, making them useless in this context?

Frankly, I was very disappointed with the below-average analysis and deductions in this book, especially given the author's pedigree. The only thing I can give it credit for is that it is still a reasonably entertaining and well-written read, especially if you are a fan of pop Mathematics. Actually, that is where the author's strength may lie and what he might want to consider writing books on in the future.
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19 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Do you ever scratch your head and ask "WHY?!", May 26, 2007
As an expat currently living in India, this book affirmed what I've found difficult and perplexing about living in New Delhi. The constant helplessness, petty jealousies and a sense that some of the observed poverty is just another one of India's treasured rackets (an alternative route for their bizarre and seemingly increasing corruption) is overwhelming and frustrating to watch on a day-to-day basis. I enjoyed this book immensely as it helped me to understand the behavior I see around me, why it continues without change (or question) and in the end, why and how others perceive their continued benefit from this seemingly irrational paradigm (from a Western view point).

Listening to Indians and the media in India, there is a view that Westerners are selfish, lack connected communities and have no "family values" or "morals" (whatever this means by whomever defines it). It's almost as if Indians have it reversed from Westerners. In particular, Americans who value personal independence coupled with a sense of civic duty and responsibility to others whereas Indians emphasize family and communal relationships to guide their behavior and actions but do not necessarily extend their concerns outside their immediate circle.

If you are curious about India as an up and coming "Super Power," get your hands on this book. Mr. Raghunathan has done a wonderful job using game theory to explain how your average Indian views and responds to other Indians as well as the world in general.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Nothing more than rambling from a Chai shop, May 16, 2008
By A. Mohammad "Mark" (Santa Barbara, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Very disappointed. The guy claims to have experience teaching for 20 years at IIM. I had a respect for this institution before reading this book. But surprised, how an ignorant fellow like this author can teach there.

All the material he collected for this book can be heard at a chai shop. Bunch of people complaining that the world is going to be doomed soon.
He tried to justify it with game theory and by throwing in couple of english sounding names.

The summary of his book.
1. Indians are more selfish than people of other cultures ( which i disagree).
2. Every one doing their part (dharma) will solve this problem.

Does not look like he ever heard the works like accountability, checks and balances.

But I appreciate his choice for the Title of the book. I brought the book after all. [...]
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Valuable Insights on India and Social Interaction Everywhere
This is a great little book but a controversial one. V. Raghunathan uses Game theory to help explain many of the foibles of Indian life often observed by natives and expats... Read more
Published 3 months ago by D. Foster

1.0 out of 5 stars Shallow analysis, doesn't inspire further thought
This could have been acceptable as a blog, but as a printed book by an academician from one of the prestigious management schools in India it is very disappointing. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rao Anand

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing analysis
I agree with the previous reviewer. The book is not really about "why we are the way we are." The author does not have an answer to that question. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Book-lover

5.0 out of 5 stars Can we not be 'like this only'?
This book is an amazing read. Raghunathan's use of game theory to explain Indian behaviour in public, is not only creative but is founded in reason and logic. Read more
Published 20 months ago by C. K. Jaidev

4.0 out of 5 stars Must read for Indians and for those doing business with Indians
The rise of India and China is one of the hottest topics of discussion today. What differentiates India's rise from that of China's (and probably that of any other country) is... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Anand Muralidharan

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read if you ever said or heard someone say "it's like that only"
I picked this book on a whim after seeing it on display in a bookstore on a recent visit to India. I found it so interesting that I finished reading it before my plane reached US... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Rakesh Chanana

5.0 out of 5 stars Please Correct the Author's Name
Dear Amazon.com,

I am the author of this book. I do apologise for using this space to ask you to correct my name on your site. It appears as N. Read more
Published 21 months ago by V. Raghunathan

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