Star Ratings: 4
No underdogs here...
‘It’s raining cats and dogs’, in the literal sense in this ‘pseudo-history’, where the author successfully and very humorously conveys a message through the cats and dogs. The title of the book is sure to entice discerning readers, eager to unravel the mystery about the Dogs eating Dog-food! In this book, the Dogs are no underdogs, rather they serve as a mighty vehicle in exposing the cynicism of the Society. Be it the psychological concepts of ‘herd mentality’ or the marketing fundamentals of ‘product life cycle’, ‘product differentiation strategy’ and the like, the author has lucidly explained it through this ‘pseudo-history’, which sounds as convincing as history.
Whiff of fresh air...
It’s a read of a kind, where it’s not really the protagonists who are under the spotlight, rather it’s their actions that add layers to the story and carry it forward effortlessly. The author has aptly named his protagonists ‘Spike Fortune’ and ‘Tom Rich’, and their pursuits in the dog and cat world has undertones of basic emotions that we see prevalent in the ‘Society’. I would say it’s a complex story told simply to perfection.
The Story...
A man gifted with fortune like ‘Spike Fortune’ frets over ways to spend the enormous fortune that he has inherited, so much so that he literally needs medical help to overcome his panic attacks. The doctor’s prescription and a despondent nephew’s Eureka moment accidentally leads Spike to pioneer an entrepreneurial venture, which in turn has cascading effects on some of his near, but not so dear ones like ‘Tom Rich’. The not so healthy competition between childhood buddies who are now corporate honchos reaches a pinnacle, when you can see ripples of their turmoil in the Society at large.
Reason for bouquets...
It’s a difficult genre to handle, but the author has successfully dealt with it. The humour is so tongue-in-cheek, it sure does rub on your funny bone. "The demand for separate police stations in each locality to attend to dog-related cases was promptly acceded to by the government. The DGP (Dogs) was the most powerful policeman in any locality." Lines like this catapult the humor element to a new high.
For effortlessly explaining complex textbook concepts from the advertising and market research world, to a layman “Sir! The market has reached the maturity stage of the Product Life Cycle. As long as our Company was a Star, growth was good. Now it can only be a Cash Cow that yields routine profits.” Spike could not make head or tail of this. He turned to Jerry and asked him “What is all this rot?” Jerry said, “Boss! They are telling you that all pet dogs are already eating dog food, so there are no more pet dogs to whom we can sell more of our product”
Reason for Star Ratings...
For bringing out the smiles, laughs and the smirks. Very few have the caliber to spontaneously bring out these emotions from the readers, but this book does it with elan. The author sure knows the magical way to make jargons in market research sound interesting, and in exploring how the human psychology has a role to play in the birth of these jargons he displays a skill that deserves accolades. His academic background seems to be in full play, when he touches upon these aspects. A very timely satire that will make you sit up and take notice. Societal pressure could not have been better explained.
For bringing out the smiles, laughs and the smirks. Very few have the caliber to spontaneously bring out these emotions from the readers, but this book does it with elan. The author sure knows the magical way to make jargons in market research sound interesting, and in exploring how the human psychology has a role to play in the birth of these jargons he displays a skill that deserves accolades. His academic background seems to be in full play, when he touches upon these aspects. A very timely satire that will make you sit up and take notice. Societal pressure could not have been better explained.
“You know how things are going at office, Dolly! We just cannot afford a Persian, now.” “We MUST! We have to maintain appearances. Why don’t you get a loan from the bank? You know they are always after you and they are offering loans for buying cats.” “If it were only the installments, Dolly, I would do it like a shot. Persians are so expensive to maintain.” “We absolutely have to, James! We will manage somehow. Economize on something less important- like our food, maybe.”
In its own way the book is a microcosm of the Society and its myriad ways that often amuse and agitate us. An excerpt from the book that effectively highlights the impact of branding – “Look at Sam, there! What a social climber! Just because he sports a Pekinese around, he thinks he is superior. A Mongrel man he is and a Mongrel man is all he will be.”
The line that stayed with me...
People with no money knew what to do with the money, which they did not possess, but people with money seemed merely to be burdened by it. Something was seriously wrong with the disbursal system in Heaven.
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