Book review: Old biz wisdom in new paperback

The Kama Sutra of Business could be summed up by the old saying: "There is nothing new under the sun."

Of course, there are new things like cars and computers, but human beings have changed very little since the dawn of recorded history. Or to use the terminology of Hong Kong-based author and inspirational speaker Nury Vittachi, the piece of wetware called the human brain hasn't been upgraded.

As a result, many neglected texts of ancient wisdom are surprisingly relevant even today. Vittachi proves this by taking us on a guided tour of three Indian classics - the Kama Sutra, Bhagavad Gita and Arthashastra. Along the way he shows that "modern" business management concepts like principle-based leadership, putting your people first, establishing win-win relationships, time management and supply chain management have all been around for thousands of years.

Even more surprisingly, ancient Indian cities had many innovations that sound very modern. They were all well planned, with schools, swimming pools, trading rooms, a stone "credit card" system, and standardized weights and measures.

Some of the thought leaders were very conservationalists - today they would be labeled as greenies. Others were business gurus who could out-strategize Sun Tzu and outwit Machiavelli.

In The Kama Sutra of Business, Vittachi examines these ancient Indian writings and the lives of key thought leaders to extract guidance and wisdom for 21st century business people.

(China Daily 05/11/2007 page15)