Title: Beyond the Rat Race, Twice
Author: Sanjay Kumar Gupta
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing
There are memoirs that recount lives, and then there are those that mirror an entire generation’s collective psyche. Beyond the Rat Race, Twice by Sanjay Kumar Gupta belongs to the latter. From the narrow lanes of 1970s Delhi to the corridors of rural consultancy, this quietly powerful book tells the story of a man who measures success not by titles or salaries but by the weight of his choices.
Gupta opens with his early life in a modest Delhi household. His father was a small trader, his mother a homemaker; they taught him more through their actions than their words. The first half of the memoir captures a generation’s struggle for upward mobility: the long study nights, the endless tests, the bumping elbows of ambition, the very real fear of failing one’s family. At the same time, he honours the quiet dignity of parents who, in their own low-visibility way, sacrificed so that he might rise. What emerges is a deeply personal story that also feels universal. As one review puts it, the book “is the compelling memoir of Sanjay Kumar Gupta — an honest and quietly powerful reflection on navigating life, learning…”
As the narrative moves into the professional realm, Gupta provides a rare inside look at ethics in the workplace and the mentorship he received at MART (a pioneering rural consultancy). His writing style is lucid, conversational, rich in sensory detail: the heat of Delhi summers, the clicking of train wheels heading into remote villages, the silent death of a parrot on campus (yes, that anecdote is here), each moment composed so that the simplest act resonates with meaning. Indeed, in one profile of the book it says: his journey “travels through elite classrooms, high-stakes job interviews, and the intense world of rural development consulting. At every turn, he explores a central question: What does it really mean to succeed?”
The most compelling theme running through this memoir is integrity. Gupta’s discomfort with empty rituals, his refusal to inflate expenses or chase hollow titles, his evolving understanding of respect—all form a moral framework rarely articulated so well in modern autobiographies. There is no loud rebellion here, no dramatic mic-drop moment; instead, the radical act is this: deliberately stepping back from competition, choosing the last rank, measuring life by different metrics. As one commentator writes: “His eventual decision… to deliberately finish last in a postgraduate course was not rebellion for its own sake, but a personal experiment in freedom
What sets this memoir apart from many in its category is the honesty and stillness with which it is told. Gupta does not chase drama; he embraces reflection. Reading the book feels like sitting across from a mentor who doesn’t instruct but reflects aloud—no grand claims, no hero posturing, only sincerity and subtle wisdom. In an age obsessed with speed and success, the book reminds us that the truest form of progress often comes through pausing, introspection, authenticity.
Ultimately, Beyond the Rat Race, Twice is not about quitting the race — it’s about redefining what the race means. It’s a memoir that should be read not just for entertainment, but for enrichment: a mirror held up to anyone searching for meaning in the madness of modern ambition. For students, professionals, anyone weary of the hustle — this book offers an invitation to a different way: to measure one’s life by depth rather than distance.
Title: Beyond the Rat Race, Twice
Author: Sanjay Kumar Gupta
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing
Buy Book On amazon: https://www.amazon.in/Beyond-Twice-Sanjay-Kumar-Gupta/dp/9363551881
Tag: Sanjay Kumar Gupta, Beyond the Rat Race Twice, Indian memoir, inspirational books, self-discovery, personal growth, authenticity, life lessons, rural India, purpose-driven life, Indian authors, non-fiction, book review, resilience, introspection.
