Road To Knowledge Begins - Preet Dhupar

Preet Dhupar, Director - Finance & Operations, BBC World India tells Nidhi Jain that books with an interesting story will hook her instantly.

Who introduced you to reading?
My mother initially, and then peer group at school. We read a lot at school and that's where the habit developed.

---Kind of book collection you have
Fairly varied - fiction, travelogues, biographies, poetry, philosophy....

---Taste in books
Anything that has an interesting story to tell will interest me. I keep searching for good books that can make me laugh, I like tongue in cheek humour. I like books that promote human values. Human emotions interest me, although romantic books are something I have never managed to sit through!

---On your favorite authors and well written books
One of my all time favorites is Somerset Maugham. His short stories are brilliant in the way that they deal with an entire range of human relationships and emotions. Coming to recent times, Shantaram is very well written, it's not just the story but the expression that captures one's imagination. There are bits in the book that stay with you. Other books that will remain in my memory - Rebecca, Anna Karenina, Crime and Punishment... but I think those are part of my growing up! I must mention that my favorite de-stresser is Dick Francis. It's crime fiction but I really like his characters and stories.

---Do you find interesting things in every book? How do you choose books you read?
Well, browse through the cover. Sometimes I pick up a book after I've read the review or if someone's recommended it to me.

---What do you think of self help books?
Used to despise them some time ago and then I picked up Stephen Covey's Seven Habits and that changed my mind, at least towards some of them. Sometimes I think it's good to read them. You may know the answers but they help reinforce your own thoughts.

---Money and time you spend on books
Quite a bit.

---Your reading pace
Depends on the book.

---Your first book
That's a tough one, Enid Blyton is what I remember, Wishing Chair, Magic Faraway Tree.

---Currently you are reading
Maximum City by Suketu Mehta.

---Books that do not hold you
The very mushy, sentimental variety and too much preaching.