The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! đ
emilyhan0906's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating stories of ordinary people in India who are in a lot of ways extraordinary. Most of the book focused on men struggling for upward mobility, but the most memorable/intense story has to be the one about the first woman to fight her way into being student president of a university.
sandyjhutti's review against another edition
3.0
I donât think I would recommend this book to anyone. I found it quite difficult to get through, it would have done better as a blog. There were a bunch of grammatical errors and I didnât learn anything new. I give it three stars for the authors ability to put together a somewhat comprehensive list of âDreamers.â
premxs's review against another edition
4.0
Dreamers is a quick read that uncovers the anxieties and (a)moralities that drive the politics of India's hinterland. A land of testosterone, bottlerocket aspiration and failure. The narrative essay form Poonam employs allow a glimpse behind the dank curtains of these lives that doesn't hesitate to show us how much trouble the nation is in if we don't address these men's insecurities. Although some parts of the book could've used broader context, the overarching narrative of disillusioned young voters who will forge their way in the world, no matter the cost, is a chilling but necessary addition to the oeuvre of reporting on the future of our democracy.
meeranair_54's review against another edition
4.0
Snigdha Poonamâs Dreamers brings to light the struggles and aspirations of the Indian youth. In a society that is brimming with job seekers, the paucity of employment propels these young Indians into doing whatever it takes to make ends meet. Filled with political stances and the desire to break through the gateway of modernism, this book brings to us the stories of individuals who refuse to back down.
When I heard about this book, I had a slightly different picture in mind; one of a dramatized version of what the youth in India are upto, in order to achieve their dreams. As I began reading this book, I was convinced that I wouldnât be able to finish it because of the overwhelmingly detailed content. But the more I read, the more I wanted to know about where India was headed, in terms of the mentality of its youth, their actions. The authorâs writing style is commendable. She writes very eloquently, in a non-judgmental manner. Themes of religion, bigotry, woman empowerment, violence, technology and modernism are highlighted throughout this tome.
Something that irked me about this book was that I felt it was not really inclusive. In the sense that it doesnât draw a fair picture of the youth of India. A majority of the stories were about men (I donât have a problem with men and neither is this about feminism. So donât misconstrue my words.) and then, none of the stories covered the southern states of India, or even the East. I agree that it must have been extremely difficult to seek out youngsters from different parts of India. But for equal representation, it would have been nice to know about individuals from different backgrounds. Some of the stories and morals that come to our attention when reading this book concerned me a great deal, because it unearthed the face of a highly intolerable and prejudiced future. While itâs important to be aware of that, it doesnât color my opinion of everyone below the age of 25 years. This book has just equipped me with the affirmation that we are a fierce bunch, ready to do whatever it takes to fulfill our goals. All in all, I would recommend Dreamers to those who enjoy nonfiction and are interested in the subject matter.
Ratings â 3.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? An indepth glance at some of the mindsets that are the future of our country.
Thank you Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
When I heard about this book, I had a slightly different picture in mind; one of a dramatized version of what the youth in India are upto, in order to achieve their dreams. As I began reading this book, I was convinced that I wouldnât be able to finish it because of the overwhelmingly detailed content. But the more I read, the more I wanted to know about where India was headed, in terms of the mentality of its youth, their actions. The authorâs writing style is commendable. She writes very eloquently, in a non-judgmental manner. Themes of religion, bigotry, woman empowerment, violence, technology and modernism are highlighted throughout this tome.
Something that irked me about this book was that I felt it was not really inclusive. In the sense that it doesnât draw a fair picture of the youth of India. A majority of the stories were about men (I donât have a problem with men and neither is this about feminism. So donât misconstrue my words.) and then, none of the stories covered the southern states of India, or even the East. I agree that it must have been extremely difficult to seek out youngsters from different parts of India. But for equal representation, it would have been nice to know about individuals from different backgrounds. Some of the stories and morals that come to our attention when reading this book concerned me a great deal, because it unearthed the face of a highly intolerable and prejudiced future. While itâs important to be aware of that, it doesnât color my opinion of everyone below the age of 25 years. This book has just equipped me with the affirmation that we are a fierce bunch, ready to do whatever it takes to fulfill our goals. All in all, I would recommend Dreamers to those who enjoy nonfiction and are interested in the subject matter.
Ratings â 3.5 out of 5 stars
What do you get out of it? An indepth glance at some of the mindsets that are the future of our country.
Thank you Penguin India for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
pocketfulofproses's review against another edition
5.0
i don't think i have words enough to explain what an important read this is.
the author has managed to track down several "young indians" (men mostly) and she uses each person's story to shed light on the state of contemporary india, the greyness of it, how 'success' is defined in a country so diverse and afflicted.
from scam call centres to the grave reality of showbiz in india to women trying to create a space for themselves in a male-dominated economy - the experiences are diverse, but not all-encompassing oBVIOUSLY.
it's an immersive, satisfying read. kinda leaves you dumbfounded and hopeful both at the same time.
the author has managed to track down several "young indians" (men mostly) and she uses each person's story to shed light on the state of contemporary india, the greyness of it, how 'success' is defined in a country so diverse and afflicted.
from scam call centres to the grave reality of showbiz in india to women trying to create a space for themselves in a male-dominated economy - the experiences are diverse, but not all-encompassing oBVIOUSLY.
it's an immersive, satisfying read. kinda leaves you dumbfounded and hopeful both at the same time.
kamila79's review against another edition
4.0
Snigdha Poonam set out on an ambitious project - she wanted to find out what young Indians dream of, do, aspire to and simply what they are like. In India youth is categorised as anyone at the age 15-34, which comprises over one third of the population. Writing a book about half a billion people is a challenge and itâs clear the task overwhelmed Poonam. âDreamers. How Young Indians Are Changing Their Worldâ is truly about only a handful of Indians, mainly men, in a very small area of the country, and this disappointed me. The author herself comes from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkand, and the majority of people she interviewed and followed come from this region. Her portrayals of young entrepreneurs, an aspiring actor and a fashion model, conmen working for a scam call centre, a visionary English teacher cum motivational speaker, inventive fixers, a wanna-be politician and the first female president of the studentsâ union in India (of Allahabad University) are fantastically colourful, detailed and captivating. She tries to be objective but from time to time mentions how difficult it was interacting with some of them and endure their arrogance, patronising attitude, sexism, aggressive behaviour and double standards. I found her being opinionated and being embarrassed about it a very human trait.
As a middle class Indian journalist she is well aware of the fact that India and the ruling party BJP under Narendra Modi constantly fails young Indians, while at the same giving them the impression it cares about them. The majority of Indiaâs youth are uneducated, unemployed and unemployable and it is relatively easy to brainwash them and make them fall into a populist trap. There is a lot of potential in Indian young people to thrive, yet corruption, oppressive social norms and standards and very poor level of available education nip their potential in the bud: âAt the moment, fewer than 17 per cent of Indiaâs graduates are immediately employable. Only 2.3 per cent of the Indian workforce has undergone formal skill training (compared to 80 per cent in Japan and 96 per cent in South Korea).â Indian youth are already called a âscarred generationâ by the International Labour Organisation and politicians are often criticised of wasting lives of hundreds of millions of people. Young Indians, full of ideas, dreams and plans, grow up to be also angry and frustrated - either with old or current politics, lack of prospects for the future, or the feeling of always being inferior to others. What made me very sad and worried is the conclusion one draws from âDreamersâ: âLike it or not, young India is what it is - unsatisfied, unscrupulous, unstoppable. Few young Indians I met had a clear sense of right and wrong; fewer gave a damn about itâ. During my trips to India I was always astonished and deeply shaken by the enormous scale of the lack of ethical spine, lack of empathy and sympathy towards others, omnipresent hypocrisy. I have met generous and kind people but the high tolerance of abuse, violence and cruelty towards other people and animals is for me one of the negative characteristics of Indian culture. You donât really need to look for it, you just need to read any newspaper, though it is in fact impossible to spend more than one day in India and do not see atrocious inequality and the aforementioned lack of empathy.
During my own travels in India I was also able to easily notice big differences between the regions, cultures and young people in this large country. The acknowledgement of the vast array of perspectives and cultures is what is sorely missing in the book. Poonam focused of the male, Hindu point of view from small and medium-sized towns of north-central India, having written about only one woman and only one Muslim man. I was hoping to learn more about young Indians from Nagaland, Kerala, Kashmir, Rajasthan, Sikkim or Tamil Nadu and to explore the perspectives influenced by various landscapes, upbringing, languages, education, religions and family background. I realise I learned more about those young Indians, whose profiles are most often showcased in the media, but am still ignorant about the realities and voices of the marginalised and ignored. I wish Poonam had made more effort and travelled the country more widely and as a result produced a book much broader in scope and more comprehensive, while still being deeply engaging.
As a middle class Indian journalist she is well aware of the fact that India and the ruling party BJP under Narendra Modi constantly fails young Indians, while at the same giving them the impression it cares about them. The majority of Indiaâs youth are uneducated, unemployed and unemployable and it is relatively easy to brainwash them and make them fall into a populist trap. There is a lot of potential in Indian young people to thrive, yet corruption, oppressive social norms and standards and very poor level of available education nip their potential in the bud: âAt the moment, fewer than 17 per cent of Indiaâs graduates are immediately employable. Only 2.3 per cent of the Indian workforce has undergone formal skill training (compared to 80 per cent in Japan and 96 per cent in South Korea).â Indian youth are already called a âscarred generationâ by the International Labour Organisation and politicians are often criticised of wasting lives of hundreds of millions of people. Young Indians, full of ideas, dreams and plans, grow up to be also angry and frustrated - either with old or current politics, lack of prospects for the future, or the feeling of always being inferior to others. What made me very sad and worried is the conclusion one draws from âDreamersâ: âLike it or not, young India is what it is - unsatisfied, unscrupulous, unstoppable. Few young Indians I met had a clear sense of right and wrong; fewer gave a damn about itâ. During my trips to India I was always astonished and deeply shaken by the enormous scale of the lack of ethical spine, lack of empathy and sympathy towards others, omnipresent hypocrisy. I have met generous and kind people but the high tolerance of abuse, violence and cruelty towards other people and animals is for me one of the negative characteristics of Indian culture. You donât really need to look for it, you just need to read any newspaper, though it is in fact impossible to spend more than one day in India and do not see atrocious inequality and the aforementioned lack of empathy.
During my own travels in India I was also able to easily notice big differences between the regions, cultures and young people in this large country. The acknowledgement of the vast array of perspectives and cultures is what is sorely missing in the book. Poonam focused of the male, Hindu point of view from small and medium-sized towns of north-central India, having written about only one woman and only one Muslim man. I was hoping to learn more about young Indians from Nagaland, Kerala, Kashmir, Rajasthan, Sikkim or Tamil Nadu and to explore the perspectives influenced by various landscapes, upbringing, languages, education, religions and family background. I realise I learned more about those young Indians, whose profiles are most often showcased in the media, but am still ignorant about the realities and voices of the marginalised and ignored. I wish Poonam had made more effort and travelled the country more widely and as a result produced a book much broader in scope and more comprehensive, while still being deeply engaging.
meenaz's review against another edition
4.0
Snighdha Poonam's narration is very engaging and paints a very disturbing picture of the Hindi heartland and it's challenging socio-economic landscape. It relies largely on the accounts of young men and so there are many other voices missing. I would strongly suggest listening to the author's interview on Amit Verma's The Seen and the Unseen podcast to understand the motivation behind the book and the method behind it's making.