Hello peeps, I am back with yet another book review post!

Though my original plan was to review only Samskritam books, I think some English books deserve an exception — and this book by Dr. Ravi Iyer certainly does.

Now, Dr. Iyer needs no introduction to many of you. But for the uninitiated, he is an excellent doctor with surprisingly excellent writing skills. Why “surprisingly”? Well… I foolishly assumed doctors prescribe only medicines and not page-turners 😉 (Yes yes, I was very proud of that pun.)

Anyways, Doctor very kindly gifted this book to my husband and me. But being the certified bookworm of the family — and, let us be honest, also carrying the mildly impish thought of “What exactly can a doctor write apart from prescriptions?” — I opened it the very same day. The intriguing title helped too.

Judging by the title, I honestly expected one of those motivational books overflowing with inspirational quotes, success formulas, and the usual “wake up at 4 AM, drink hot water, meditate facing east, and conquer the world before breakfast” advice 😄

But this turned out to be one of those rare and delightful moments where expectations happily collapse. Instead, I found myself completely drawn into the doctor’s writing style, quiet humor, observations, and the wonderfully engaging anecdotes from his life and experiences.

What struck me the most was how relatable it all felt. Reading about his days in his native place, the struggles of medical school, the lonely days at Harvard, the research journey, the uncertainty, the persistence — it suddenly stopped feeling like I was reading about “a famous doctor” and started feeling like I was reading about someone I knew. Or perhaps even parts of ourselves.

There were moments where I found myself thinking, “Wait… I know this feeling.” That strange mix of ambition, loneliness, self-doubt, nostalgia, hope, and simply trying to figure life out one day at a time.

And honestly, I never expected to enjoy the book this much. Somewhere between the pages, the doctor stopped being “Dr. Ravi Iyer” and became simply another human being telling his story — and that is perhaps what made the book so special.

I finished the book in two days. TWO. DAYS.

It reminded me of my teenage years when I devoured Nancy Drew, Agatha Christie, and John Grisham novels so obsessively that my family would get annoyed seeing me read without properly eating, drinking, or interacting with civilization. My eyes, of course, did not appreciate this sudden return to old habits — but some books are worth the eye strain 😄

After finishing it, I immediately decided I needed to read more of Dr. Iyer’s books. So the next time I met him, I enthusiastically told him so. Much to my surprise, he gifted me another one of his books. Sadly — and I say this with great shame — I left it untouched for quite some time because I knew it was about COVID and assumed it would be heavy, clinical, or emotionally exhausting.

Well… I finally opened it last week.

And now I am annoyed with myself for not reading it earlier because THIS one too is an absolute gem.

So yes… another review is definitely coming soon. Though perhaps I should give all of you (and my poor neglected household chores) a small break between reviews before I unleash the next one 😄

At this point, I have also learned an important life lesson: never underestimate doctors. Apparently, some of them heal patients in the morning and casually write addictive page-turners in the evening. Quite unfair to the rest of us, honestly.

Also, I know Dr. Iyer probably will not read this 😄 but if any of you happen to meet him, please do tell him that gifting me the remaining books in his collection would be a noble and culturally uplifting act. You all, however, should absolutely BUY the books — it would be terribly unfair if all of us started waiting for complimentary copies 😉

Until the next review — happy reading! And if you lend me a book, please understand that I may disappear from society for few days.