Poor Little Rich Slum

With the poignant, tugging-at-the-heartstring frames et al. What this book does instead, is shift the focus of Asia's largest slum, on the real people who choose to rise above the ‘victim syndrome' and shine in a space that is typically, the last place one would look for towering enterprise or dreams being realised.

Poor Little Rich Slum, Rashmi Bansal, Deepak Gandhi, Westland, Rs 250. Available at leading bookstores.

What the authors have done is handpick individuals and groups who have gone on to assimilate, imbibe and encourage the Dharavi dream, in its truest sense. So, the reader will come across stirring tales of survival, from silk saree centres to Art of Living sessions, and wanderlust Brazilian musicians making music in the slum, rubbing shoulders with enthusiastic acupuncturists. There's a whole bunch of other intriguing, engaging stories to sift through.

The layout is arresting - photography by Dee Gandhi intermingles effortlessly with copy for every chapter giving the reader an intimate account of the corners and contours of this micro-city. There's enough for every kind of eclectic reader to pick and pursue as part of this rollercoaster ride.