How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia by Mohsin Hamid

Despite the misleading title, this is actually a work of fiction!  There are elements of this book that I absolutely loved;  Mohsin’s chapter openings are real food for thought and oh-so entertaining but, overall, I did feel a little bit let down.  It’s not that I didn’t enjoy this book it’s just that I was hoping to be as

WOWED by this book as I was by another book by the same author, The Relu

ctant Fundamentalist (a very tough act to follow, as it turns out).

In the guise of a self-help book, the story unfolds over 12 chapters, each one containing a lesson or a strategy for the aspiring masses to escape the shackles of poverty:  Move to the City; Get an Education; Don’t Fall in Love; Avoid Idealists; Learn from a Master; Work for Yourself; Be Prepared to Use Violence; Befriend a Bureaucrat; Patronise the Artists of War; Dance with Debt; Focus on the Fundamentals; and Have an Exit Strategy.

It’s not just about the pursuit of money either, there is a long-existing love story that weaves itself through the life of the character.  Whereas our rogue-hero uses street-smarts and cunning to catapult himself into a more opulent world, his love interest uses her personal attributes to do the same.  There is a subtextual message that nothing can distract one from the pursuit of wealth, not even love, so it’s no surprise then that this love affair does not actually come to fruition until the very end of the book when the pursuit of wealth is no longer an issue for these two characters.

In hindsight, this would not be my go-to-book for this author but if you enjoy books that drive you a little ways out of the town called ‘Comfort-Zone’, then this is a must-read!

I give this book THREE COFFEE CUPS ☕☕☕