Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam **** (of 5)

Professor Chandra was born in India and almost lived up to his parent's expectations for success. Now, approaching his 70th birthday he is a distinguished, and hilariously pompous, professor of economics at Cambridge University. This might even be the year he wins a Nobel in economics so he practices his nonchalance and indifference in preparation for meeting the King of Sweden.

Not only does Professor Chandra fail to win again this year, but now that he has been run over by a student on a bicycle while he absentmindedly crossed the street without looking, he has time to recognize that one daughter stopped speaking with him two years ago, another daughter is not going to college (a blasphemy!), and his son has moved to Hong Kong and barely has time to call. Not that Chandra has really mastered his cell phone, anyway.

On a visit to his ex-wife and her husband in Colorado, Professor Chandra is persuaded, rather forcefully, to attend the Esalen Institute in California setting up a devilishly dubious clash of cultures. A buttoned-up Neo-Classical economist has to learn to carry on a conversation with similarly aged, naked women in hot tubs on leave from their spiritual monasteries all while coming into touch with his feelings under the tutelage of aging hippy, Rudy Katz.

As funny as the book is and as terrific as the reader of the audio book is at capturing characters, there is actually a rather upbeat and persuasive message presented. You are never too old to learn new things about yourself.