They say a daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart. In Legacy, noted journalist and author Sudha Menon brings forth a rare collection of personal and evocative letters from India’s eminent parents to their daughters. Through their fearless approach to life, love, and overcoming obstacles, these icons from the world of business, arts, films, food, and sports share with us their experience and wisdom as they pass them on to their daughters.

The diverse parents include Narayana Murthy, Chanda Kochhar, Kishore Biyani, Zia Mody, K.V. Kamath, Ajay Piramal, Amit Chandra, Ganesh Natrajan, Renuka Ramnath, P.P. Chhabria, Pradeep Bhargava, Deep Anand, Capt. Gopinath, Mallika Sarabhai, Shaheen Mistri, Sanjeev Kapoor, Jatin Das, and Prakash Padukone.

These well-known personalities, in their letters, talk about how they struggled to make their marks in their professions. They talk about their journeys and the hurdles that they faced to reach the top. Each letter unfolds like a story. Self-respect, dignity, humility, resilience and honesty seem to be the secrets to their successes.

A common theme that these letters share is the values that the parents want to impart to their daughters, some of who are just growing up and others who, like their parents, have earned a name for themselves. The letters bring forth an array of emotions, ranging from anxiety to pride, that parents house for their children in their hearts.

Zensar's Natarajan addresses daughter Karuna along similar lines, going into detail about how to relate to people and cultivate strong relationships. "Your mother and I personally know and take an interest in the people who work for the organisations we built in the last decades."

But that is only half the story. An equally important part of interpersonal skills is to genuinely listen to others' opinions, and be open to what they have to say. Whether it is the relationship between a child and a parent, or an employer and employee, the process of finding mutual ground for understanding has to go on. As Kishor Biyani's letter says, he never felt a generation gap between him and his daughters because he was open-minded.

Menon’s idea of compiling the well crafted letters into a book is certainly a refreshing idea. Legacy, like the literal meaning of the word – anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor – is the handing down of knowledge about leading a constructive and happy life. The concept of Legacy is indeed captivating as it makes you stop and rethink about your own ideas of success.

BOOK DETAILS
Publisher    :  Random House India
ISBN    : 10 8184007264
Imprint    : Ebury Press
Number of Page : 272 Pages
Publication Year : 2015
Binding    : Paperback