Sanjay Kumar Gupta’s Beyond the Rat Race, Twice is the story of a man who measures success not by titles or salaries but by the weight of his choices. It is a story many Indians will find eerily familiar—the relentless push to study harder, score higher, work faster—and the slow realization that freedom cannot be found on any report card.
The book opens with the author’s early life in Delhi, the son of a small trader and a homemaker who taught him more through their actions than words. The first half of the memoir captures a generation’s struggle for upward mobility—the sacrifices of parents, the quiet dignity of small victories, and the invisible cost of ambition. Yet, it’s in the second half where the narrative truly blossoms: Gupta’s reflections on work, mentorship, and morality at MART, a pioneering rural consultancy, offer a rare inside look at purpose-driven professional life.
His writing style is lucid, almost conversational, filled with sensory details that make the simplest moments—like a postcard announcing exam results or a parrot’s silent death—profoundly symbolic.
In an age obsessed with speed and success, Beyond the Rat Race, Twice reminds us that the truest form of progress often comes from pausing. A gentle yet unflinching testament to human resilience and authenticity.
What makes this memoir exceptional is its refusal to sensationalize. Gupta does not chase drama; he embraces stillness. His decision to step back from competition and intentionally aim for the last rank is one of the most radical acts of self-liberation in contemporary Indian non-fiction.
Title: Beyond the Rat Race, Twice
Author: Sanjay Kumar Gupta
Publisher: Evincepub Publishing
