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Snigdha Poonam
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Dreamers: How Young Indians Are Changing Their World Kindle Edition

by Snigdha Poonam (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 239 ratings
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More than half of India is under the age of twenty-five and the country is set to have the youngest population in the world by 2021. But India's millennials are nothing like their counterparts in the West.
In a world that's marked by unprecedented connectivity and technological advancement, in a country that's increasingly characterized by ambition, political power and access, in an economy that appears to be breaking down the barriers to wealth that existed for every previous era, this is a generation that cannot - will not - be defined on anything but their own terms. They are wealth-chasers, attention-seekers, power-trappers, fame-hunters. They are the dreamers.
Snigdha Poonam's remarkable cultural study of the unlikeliest of fortune-hawkers travels through the small towns of northern India to investigate the phenomenon that is India's Generation Y. From dubious entrepreneurs to political aspirants, from starstruck strivers to masterly swindlers, she travels - on carts and buses, in cars and trucks - through the India's badlands to uncover a theatre of toxic masculinity, spirited ambition and a kind of hunger for change that is bound to drive the future of our country. These young Indians aren't just changing their world - they're changing yours.
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  1. Print length
    290 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Viking
  4. Publication date
    25 January 2018
  5. File size
    1.4 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  9. See all details
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Product description

Review

'Dreamers smashes the slick hype that has been constructed around India’s aspiring middle classes, calling our attention to the corruption, frustration, and dashed hopes bubbling beneath the surface. It may be convenient for India’s elites to whitewash these inconvenient truths. But, as Poonam shows, it would also be suicidal.' -- Foreign Affairs

'Wise, timely and, alas, deeply troubling . . . Poonam has a gift for finding the most telling stories of our time and constructs a powerful argument.' ― Financial Times

'A perceptive, useful book on an important topic . . . Poonam is clear-eyed on the challenges the youth of the Indian population present.'

‘At a time when nationalism and populism in the west and China are getting a lot of attention, this is an important contribution to understanding the 21st century’s other emerging superpower.’

'Snigdha Poonam offers an enlightening and powerful examination into the absorbing world of India's youth, their unique complexities, aspirations, and ambitions in the 21st century. Rich in detail and engagingly crafted, Dreamers is a lively and compelling read.' -- Shashi Tharoor, author of 'Inglorious Empire'

'A clever, fresh, and honest book about one of the great unknowns - and one of the most important topics - of the developing world: the lives, aspirations, disappointments and achievements of India's young people.' -- Jason Burke, The Guardian

'A brilliant dive into the seething psyche of India’s small-town youth: a mayhem of sexuality, sentimentality and insatiable hunger for success ― at whatever price. Be afraid…' -- Sunil Khilnani, Avantha Professor and Director, King's India Institute, Kings College, London, and author of 'Incarnations: A History of India in Fifty Lives'

'An illuminating and sometimes alarming book.' -- Ian Jack

'Diligently reported and crisply written, Dreamers is an eye-opening guide to India’s troubled present ― and future. No recent book has so astutely charted the treacherous Indian gap between extravagant illusion and grim reality.' -- Pankaj Mishra, author of 'Age of Anger: A History of the Present'

‘[Poonam’s] book offers valuable insights. . . . If young Indians really are changing the world, it may not be for the better.’

About the Author

Snigdha Poonam is a writer with the Hindustan Times in Delhi. Her work has appeared in the Guardian, the New York Times and Granta. Her article 'Lady Singham's Mission Against Love' was runner-up in the Bodley Head / Financial Times Essay Prize, 2015

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B079527NJC
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Viking (25 January 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1.4 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 290 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0674988175
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 239 ratings

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Snigdha Poonam

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
239 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book insightful and engrossing. It helps them understand how young Indians think, act, and dream. Readers praise the author's brilliant job in exploring all the stories.

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InsightReadability
13 customers mention "Insight"13 positive0 negative

Customers find the book insightful and engrossing. It helps them understand how young Indians think, act, and dream. Readers praise the author's research and narration. They also mention that the book is an eloquent ethnographic account detailing India as young Indians see it.

"...A quick and easy read book, Poonam packs broad themes in a compact book to make it an all-comprehensive account...." Read more

"...An honest anecdotal account of tier 2&3 India's aspirations and dynamics...." Read more

"Well researched and written, covers how most young Indians are taking to finding jobs,from English learning and working call Centre jobs to working..." Read more

"...makes one pessimistic... The author has done a good job of researching and narrating (sometimes it reads like a thriller) though the tenor at the..." Read more

6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the book's readability. They find it an engaging read and praise the author's work exploring young people's stories.

"Snigdha has written a superb book constructing a tale of young (North) Indians (mostly men and one amazing woman) struggling to carve out their..." Read more

"...A great read." Read more

"Really enjoyed this book throughout. Wide variety of people with different stories in different places but with same attitude to excel...." Read more

"Good book" Read more

Top reviews from India

  • Nachiket Midha
    5.0 out of 5 stars A book to understand how young Indians think, act, and dream.
    Reviewed in India on 5 March 2022
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    An eloquent ethnographic account detailing India (as the young Indians see it). A quick and easy read book, Poonam packs broad themes in a compact book to make it an all-comprehensive account. My favorite part of the book is Part 2 dealing with the nitty-gritty of how young Indians think about politics.
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  • sachin shridhar
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting insights
    Reviewed in India on 18 January 2024
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    At last a book in English which talks of real India whereas by and large the English writing is obsessed with elitistic issues which in larger scheme of things in a big and diverse land like ours are essentially non-issues. An honest anecdotal account of tier 2&3 India's aspirations and dynamics. Cutting through the crap and false narratives,we need more such real stories to be told.They need to be told or we the privileged few in big cities will continue to live in our bubbles and enjoying the self created symphonies in our echo-chambers. Well done Snigdha Poonam!
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  • Mag
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must read to understand young India
    Reviewed in India on 14 February 2025
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    Well researched and written, covers how most young Indians are taking to finding jobs,from English learning and working call Centre jobs to working in scammy call centres and its many fall outs. Very easy to read, and author has taken a genuine interest in the people she follows at work and carefully interviews while they willingly share more and relate to a very different person from themselves more humanly. Read to understand how employment and aspiration work for the Indian youth.
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  • Prakash Holla
    4.0 out of 5 stars Meloncholic yet Gripping...
    Reviewed in India on 17 September 2018
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    National/societal dynamics change over time base on the pulse/preference of people. A country which started secular became polarized... reservations which started as an exception became rule... culture of appeasement of gods has led to appeasement (bribe) of people.....personality cult, dynasty have become norms.. All these factors inevitably makes one pessimistic... The author has done a good job of researching and narrating (sometimes it reads like a thriller) though the tenor at the end is a little pesimistc.....what we need to remember is despite all these our economy is a force to reckon with and above all democracy has survived...so let's hope there's hope for India!
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Very important book for our times!
    Reviewed in India on 10 November 2018
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    I read a portion of this book sitting in a book shop and I realised I had to buy it. Snigdha’s writing reminds me of Naipaul’s forays into the Indian heartland and although i doubt she may agree with this observation, it’s a book that is an important one in this day and this age. It’s courageous and it’s disturbingly incisive in what it set out to achieve. It does seem so for a while that, while her mileue is restricted to the north and most of her observations are limited to just a few northern states, she may have gone a bit overboard in painting the youth with the same brush. But let’s face it, for those of them complaining if this, how different in character are the men who beat up women in pubs in Mangalore ( and still do so with little impunity from law) different from those in Harayana? How is the lust for power any different anywhere? Which tier II town south of the Vindhyas doesn’t represent the same vices that we see this book depict about the north. There are no heroes or villains in this book. There are just ordinary people who are facing extraordinary circumstances. It’s a journalists honest account of the world through her eyes. A recommended read!
    One person found this helpful
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  • Aditi Mittal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely incredible
    Reviewed in India on 18 July 2019
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    I’m a fan of Poonam’s incredible body of journalistic work and this book is an extension of the reporting she has been doing for the past 5 years. Dreamers is a book that India, and the world needs to read. It’s timely, and moving and very well written. I hope there’s going to be a translation of this book in regional languages.
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  • rucjos
    4.0 out of 5 stars The book does a good job delving into the mind of young Indian dreamers
    Reviewed in India on 22 October 2018
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    Well, I am satisfied that the author has done a good job in mingling with our young generation and has brought out some great insights into their mind and moralistic view of the world. She could've spared the political undertone to her narration - though I concur with her views - as it only lets the readers question the intent and sincerity of her hardwork.
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  • S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read
    Reviewed in India on 20 September 2018
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    Snigdha has written a superb book constructing a tale of young (North) Indians (mostly men and one amazing woman) struggling to carve out their niche in the world. She wrote about a few people who are the flag bearers for a trend she noticed during her work as a journalist. Compelling read. Helps get a grasp of how the world is shaping young Indians and how they are shaping their world.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Usha Sanyal
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great service!
    Reviewed in the United States on 9 December 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The book arrived on time and is as described. Thank you!
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  • SamV
    5.0 out of 5 stars A very good read.
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 April 2018
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    Very well written and shines a light into young India today particularly their frustrations and dreams and their dreams and their fantasies.
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  • P. J. Martin
    4.0 out of 5 stars To be young in India
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 January 2025
    Verified Purchase
    "Dreamers” (2018), by Snigdha Poonam, a journalist, is a portrait of India’s youth. FT
    Much of India's youth feels dispossessed and deprived. Every vacant job is overwhelmed with applications, Some develop internet careers and others become village fixers, helping the illiterate to claim state benefits. Others fall victims to scams offering acting careers and so on. Many are employed knowingly in phone scams, particularly scamming Americans, pretending for example, to be from the IRS. It’s a bleak and sad picture
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  • Pushkar Gosavi
    4.0 out of 5 stars Nice insight
    Reviewed in the United States on 28 August 2018
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    Nice insight in current situation & as many times mentioned in the book : fascination to be powerful, rich & famous seems to be breaking social fabric of India. From here where it will go? Or what are the limits? No one knows. It is difficult task to manage aspirations of 600 millions youth in India, and society as institution need to find right path ahead. Very well written and articulated & best part is that, no judgemental views are given if it's right or wrong, just pure reportage. Recommended.
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  • Christopher M. Schroeder
    5.0 out of 5 stars A crucial read to understand the new generation in India, how different their premises are, and massive change coming.
    Reviewed in the United States on 23 July 2018
    Verified Purchase
    What do you do when you’re a young person in need of education, training and infrastructure that takes a generation to build (if it is built at all)? You forget all that, dream big, use technology, find your own training and attach yourself to a job that is a step to those dreams with people just like you.

    Poonam tours extraordinary and extraordinarily young people, often coming from nothing, but digitally/mobile connected who see role models who have made it big and want it for themselves. To be rich, important and famous is a strikingly shared ambition. Heroes are often the great tech icons of America — the Zuckerbergs and Musks — but they are as equally likely to quote an inspirational line from Breaking Bad or Game of Thrones.

    We meet an entrepreneur who is building one of countless English programs — India will soon have more English speakers than the rest of the world combined — whose classes are one part basic speaking skills and two parts almost Tony Robbins like rallying of their personal ambitions. We meet young fixers who navigate the myriad of complexities to get things done; young politicians who believe they can lead a new India; a remarkable young woman who impossibly ran as brutal a political race as we can imagine for President of the Allahabad University Student Union as the first woman.

    All along, Poonam assumed she would meet young Indians much like herself and was repeatedly stunned by the differences in their hyper focus of ambition and no interest in taking the steps of a steady job and acceptance of societies rules she was raised with. She navigates and wrestles a consistent effort to do whatever it takes without much thought of the moral ramifications. 86% of all telephone scams are committed by well-run, young, large entrepreneurial enterprises in India, costing the US (mostly older people) $1.5 billion per year. The kids don’t think twice about it — it’s a good job, it pays well, it’s a step to another job in their ambition and most Americans have too much money anyhow.
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