This is a lovely memoir. It is a full and singular life lived with such ups and downs. And so many famous luminaries show up in these pages, which shouldn't be surprising, given Sen's own fame. But it is his interesting observations and insights about these people that makes us see them just that little bit differently. Given the large span of time covered, there's a lot of history in these pages too, which is great for those of us who love history. It's sad to think that more people in India haven't read this book.

A Memoir by a Nobel Laureate. Very detailed beginning from his birth and a great history of India. When asked where is his home, he replies that his concept of home is far different that what others would think. Home is not just a place but a collection of many influences. It shows he is a deep thinker and considers many angles in a response. Sometimes there is no one right answer, it all depends…

However, there is an over-abundance of details that are so mundane that I got lost in learning just who Dr. Amartya Sen really is. There were mentions of a lot of names that I felt wasn’t necessary that made it hard to keep track. It seemed he wanted to mention every person he ever interacted with in his life and who made an impact. There is no doubt that Dr. Sen is a brilliant man, but this book was not for me and I had to abandon the book half way in. It became too much and seemed like a task to read. Perhaps down the road, I will attempt to read this all the way through.

However, many thanks to #netgalley and to #homeintheworld for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

A significant contributor to the field of economics, Amartya Sen’s weighty memoir delves deep into his memory bank to give the reader insights into his home in the world. Much of the book harkens back to his childhood in Dhaka, Mandalay, Calcutta, and Santiniketan, as well as his early formative years in school and university. I found the early parts interesting as Sen describes his family’s association with the Nobel Poet Laureate Rabindranath Tagore and Tagore’s significant contribution and influence on Bengal and India on numerous fronts. Tagore’s groundbreaking philosophy on education and the cultural world were key factors in Sen’s education and outlook. They left an indelible stamp on the author. Also noteworthy is Sen’s focus on the struggle for India’s independence and the challenges of religious strife in a secular India, stirred constantly by politicians for their gain. I particularly appreciated his ability to convey how people of different religions in India do live in harmony most of the time, despite the fact that we tend to frequently hear more about religious acrimony and conflict. He waxed eloquently about his line of work, what influenced his thinking and approach, and his path to success. From a writing style perspective, I found the book to be excruciatingly bogged down in overly minute details, a laundry list of names of who’s who in what seemed like every encounter he had in his entire life. It felt like he wanted to acknowledge everyone he’d ever met or was testing himself on how many people he could remember going back to his childhood days, which works for him, but not to me, the reader. Overall I found the book interesting in some parts, in others, not so much. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.