Lindsay Byrnes on River Valley to Silicon valley

Wednesday, June 27
River Valley to Silicon Valley

This is the title to the recently published book written by Abhay K which I have had the pleasure of reading. His story is about growing up in India encompassing his life with grandparents, his family, attending Schools, College, University and the preparation to secure his current position as a Diplomat with the Indian Civil Service. It is not a story of heroic deeds or grandiose enlightenment but one which immediately captured my interest. He shares his thoughts about life’s trials and tribulations, the influences of family and mentors and his reverence for life. Ultimately it’s his story of perseverance which triumphs over adversity.

He begins each chapter with an appropriate quotation or verse as if these words shape his life and thought, and indeed they do. The use of footnotes to explain his culture and unfamiliar terms adds to the rich tapestry of his story, lightly sprinkled with the occasional poem. His style is that of the commensurate story teller, non- judgmental and devoid of tiresome regrets or prejudices.

His story may well be an analogy for an emerging India today. Following its bloody partition with its accompanying terrible loss of life, India has embraced its newly found independence to develop rapidly into a significant world democracy capable of achieving sustainable annual growth rates of 8%. It has developed its own unique home spun dynamic intellectual capital arising primarily from its investment in education whilst retaining its history and traditions. It does not rely on foreign investment for its future growth anywhere near the extent that China does and hence I believe it to be more resilient. I think it has the ability to enhance the well-being of its population, to reduce prejudices and to assist those impoverished areas of population dependant on subsistence agriculture.

Abhay dedicates his book: FOR MY GREAT FATHER who inspires me the way he lived till the end. And for the new generation of youth in India who are ready to make a difference.

I think the new generation will make a difference and is already making its mark. So much so that some of my friends and I have come to the conclusion to invest directly in India through our self managed Superannuation Funds.

I would highly recommend River Valley to Silicon Valey as simply a great read or for those who wish to gain further insight into his beloved country.

For more please visit- Lindsay Lobes

Interview of Abhay K. with writer Bhaswati Ghosh

"I relived my last 25 years while writing this book"

Please visit for details-

Interview with Bhaswati Ghosh

Comment about River Valley to Silicon Valley by Svetlana Gorshkova

I want to offer my deep gratitude and appreciation of your book. It is really great to dive so deep into another country, another culture and way of life, it definitely brings us closer to each other. Also the style of the writing fully allowed me to indentify myself with you during different periods of your life. Sometimes I was so touched to tears by words about your family, grandma and important points in your life.
-Svetlana Gorshkova, Music Connoseir, St. Petersburg

River Valley to Silicon Valley- Book Review by Stanislav Savitski

Dear Abhay,I’m about to finish reading your book. Possibly I’m its perfect reader because unfortunately my knowledge about India is far from being below average. It is really interesting to read your story first of all as a sort of introduction to other culture. Meanwhile, I feel myself not an “ordinary” foreigner completely alien to life described in your text. This is the education novel I remember from the Russian-Soviet tradition where the Enlightenment ideals and dreams remained the very essential and productive values for many decades. Surprisingly (or may be not surprisingly) one can find in your book the plot from the Realistic prose of 1930s-80s. I’m not sure that I like this tradition as such but no doubts it attracts me a great deal today when the boundary between the Socialist past and the contemporary life is evident. I’m really interested to find out how the story of education and career of the “simple man” might be told now and moreover how it may be expressed in the manner unusual from my point of view.
Best,Stanislav Savitski, Critic, St. Petersburg

River Valley to Silicon Valley- Book Review by Srinivas Reddy

I just finished reading your book "River Valley to Silicon Valley" and left with the feeling that I have known you for a very long time.

It was a pleasure reading the book due to the simplicity of the language used and the clear message delivered.

I share a similar childhood financial circumstances and hence I had spent a long time while reading the book going back to my childhood days and remembering the sacrifices that my parents had to make in helping me get educated. I thank you for this journey back.

It is very inspiring for many Indians with a rural background and would help them to achieve the transformation.

The title 'River Valley to Silicon Valley' carries the whole book in one phrase.

-Srinivas Reddy, St.Petersburg, Russia

River Valley to Silicon Valley- Book Review by Andrey Khlobystin, art expert and artist

For the majority of Russians knowledge about modern Indian culture in whole and Indian literature, in particular, is limited to the already “ancient” Rabindranath Tagore, spiritual gurus of different caliber, Ravi Shankar and Indian cinema with its music. Although one can witness a new tide of interest in India among Russian creative youth, there is no real contact with modern Indian culture and its representatives. “V put Ot Rechnoi Dolini (River Valley to Silicon Valley)”, the book by Abhay Kumar, the writer, poet and diplomat, could be interesting for those “pilgrims to Oriental countries” who are not really satisfied with their knowledge about today’s life of this great country.

Russian reader meets here an unknown world and exotic words, but the book turns out to be understandable and easy-to-read, since a reader comes across a genre familiar to us from Russian literature which could be defined as ‘childhood – adolescence – youth, genre. This particular genre elaborated in our literature by such luminaries as Tolstoy, Turgenev, Dostoevsky, Aksakov, Gorky and others, is related to Indian understanding of human’s journey in the world as spiritual growth, the one which brings together Hesychasm* with yoga and Vedic tradition. From the first sight one could define destiny of the main character of this autobiographic book with American formulae of a “self-made man”. That is, having applied enormous efforts in his studies, a boy form poor peasant’s family reaches top success in his life and career .However, this American term would be absolutely incorrect. Starting from his grandfather the wrestler (yogi, ascetic?), the whole family, and generation by generation is trying to educate the children and develop their spirituality. The family makes it the essence of its existence.
Author avoids mentioning any caste themes, but in Indian tradition it could be called as a “Brahmin’s journey”. Through the whole book one can feel a mighty force of family traditions behind the author and his elder brother (it is for this reason the book has the subtitle: Story of three generations of Indian family”).
Abhay Kumar just slightly touches upon his yoga classes and his visits to temples, but in the very “body” of the book one could feel author’s constant analysis and control over his psycho/physical conditions. In the beginning the book makes slightly sentimental and poetic statement, but later you find yourself involved into a book of almost adventurous genre in traditions of the “Golden Donkey”, “Simplicissimus” and “Golden Calf”. Passing through harsh methods of upbringing (only one fact that small children used to be woken up at 4 a.m. for a morning prayer is worth mentioning!), highly confusing bureaucratic educational system with endless tests and exams – all look like adventures of heroes in a suspense novel.(Wheel of Fortune, again, a symbol familiar to Indians).
Publishing this book in Russian is a breakthrough in our knowledge about modern Indian literature, its everyday life and world-view of Indian youth.

* In Eastern Christianity, type of monastic life in which practitioners seek divine quietness by the contemplation of God in uninterrupted prayer; Quietism.

Review by Andrey Khlobystin, Art expert and Artist, St. Petersburg, Russia

River Valley to Silicon Valley- A Review Letter from Oksana Mirovaya

I think, every person could write the story about himself. Every one of us meets and overcomes difficulties in life, achieving our aims. And we try to do our best. Not everyone writes it down, to share with others though. It’s ok that you did.

I think, the story of your life is worth to be published. You have made a lot of efforts to cross this long way from the boy of the small Indian village in the river valley to who you are now…This story can be the leadership or sample for today`s youth. For russian youth especially, who is in a deep moral crisis now. Russia is becoming capitalistic country. Old socialistic ideals are broken and dirted; new ideals are not created yet. This young generation grows weak-willed, incapable to achieve their goals; they even cannot imagine what these goals should be like. They just live, without putting any goals in front. First of all, crisis of the country reflects on the young generation. I would like that modern Russian young people read your book; it would be useful…although they prefer different books now.

I really enjoyed the style of your writing, simple and innocent. Faith in nobleness and big heart of other people, respect and love to your parents and elder ones, sincere desire to become worth of their hopes, the art to be thankful and value others, good feeling of friendship and humor, always the attitude to climb the higher level, all that makes your book a good manual for young people. And it is sincerely written so easy to read.

Oksana Mirovaya- A Spritual Activist, St. Petersburg, Russia

(Disclaimer- The views expressed above are of the reviewer Oksana Mirovaya)