January 30, 2012

Book Review---''Zero Percentile-2.0 missed IIT kissed Gurgaon''

Title: Zero Percentile–2.0, Missed IIT kissed Gurgaon
Author: Neeraj Chhibba
Publisher: Rupa & Co.
Price: Rs 140/-


'Zero Percentile-2.0 missed IIT kissed Gurgson' is a sequel to 'Zero Percentile-missed IIT kissed Russia' and takes forward the story of Pankaj, Motu & Priya.
In this book, Pankaj and Motu start a small software company called Numerosoft.
With big dreams full of hope and ambition, they invest a small fortune with the overwhelming desire to conquer the world.
Little do they know that success will turn out to be so stubborn.
As things get messier on the work front, friends drift apart and the business is divided.Their closest friends and business associates are forced to take a call.

ZP2 is a story of these friends and their struggle in the software industry, the trials they have to face in their professional as well as personal lives, the emotional turmoil they have to go through yet putting up a brave front---bending but never breaking as life twists and turns into a series of unexpected events.

What makes the book interesting is that it is divided into three distinct sections over a span of several years and with each section the plot unravels itsself a little more---the first section opens with tension looming high as Numerosoft is facing a threat from a mysterious source, the second part of the book delves into the past and brings to light the relationship between all the characters involved---strong bonds of friendship and love, gratitude and respect come into play in this segment and finally there is the third part, the climax where everything finally falls into place and perspective (bringing a heave of relief to the reader).

While on one side, there is the loving father-daughter relationship between Divya and Arjun which pulls at your heart strings every now and then...on the other, there is Nitin's story running on a parallel track as continued from 'Zero Percentile' (the prequel)---which speaks of the struggle of an HIV inflicted individual to live a life of respect and dignity.

Its true that there are parts when the story gets a tad bit confusing with too many things going on at the same time.Also the amalgamation of so many issues makes one a little disconnected from the attention each of the characters actually deserve.
Small exaggerations like the helicopter ride to Haryana, the hullabaloo everyone creates over Nitin's HIV status, the interviews and international fame that follows suit and the passionate chemistry aka love he shares with the lawyer fighting his case feels a little too sudden (to develop over such a small time period) and immature.
But then again, maybe these are the much needed elements needed for a box office hit, which ZP has a rather good chance of.

As the story proceeds, the plot thickens and eventually after what seems to be a bitter fight for control, power and success, there is a hostile takeover bid which ends in a dramatic climax.
Neeraj Chhibba's writing is simple and easy.Explaining how things work in the software industry would score him brownie points amidst those in that sector and I am sure they would be able to relate to it in ways more than one.
As for me, ZP2 was a quick read which slowly but surely picked up both pace and interest.

About the author: Neeraj Chhabba's first entry into the literary front was in 2009 with his first book Zero Percentile {ZP1) which went on to achieve the status of a national bestseller.Widely read and appreciated, it led to the genesis of his second book Zero Percentile 2.0 (ZP2) which is a sequel as well as his first attempt to write about life in the software industry.
Neeraj currently works with a high-end software services company , Nagarru Software, in Gurgaon.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

gr8 review as always.I have read this book and i agree with every word u've said.

cheers!!!

Viyoma said...

Well written, crisp review i would say. You havent detailed too much...and gone into the plot, which i really appreciate.

Recently i wrote a post on Book Introductions..not sure if a concept like this exists.