Sundowner at Six -A Book Best Enjoyed Without Looking for Enlightenment
There is an old saying in Uttarakhand: “Surya Asth, Garhwal Mast.” Roughly translated, once the sun sets, the people of Garhwal become considerably more interesting. So, I must confess that I, a Pahaadi, was partially misled by the title of Ashish Joshi’s (another Pahaadi) ‘Sundowner at Six: Philosophy Served on the Rocks’. I ventured into it, expecting profound insights, existential wisdom and perhaps a few life-changing thoughts that become crystal clear somewhere between the first drink and the point at which everyone begins calling everyone else “my dear friend.”
Don’t make that mistake.
The blurb at the back of the book is a much better guide. Ashish promises humorous essays, travel anecdotes and reflections, served with wit, nostalgia and Scotch. That, thankfully, is exactly what arrives at the table.
The book wanders across a wide spectrum of subjects, collecting observations, memories and opinions along the way.
This is both its strength and its occasional weakness.
The short, vignette-like chapters ensure that the reader is never trapped inside one subject long enough to require emergency evacuation. Ashish clearly works hard to make every sentence earn its place through wit, sarcasm or humour. Because the subjects keep changing, this does not become exhausting too quickly.
At the same time, after a few chapters, you may find yourself asking: where exactly is Ashish taking us?
To Ashish’s credit, he has already answered that question. He admits, with admirable honesty, that he wrote the book “to amuse himself, partly to make sense of life, and mostly because therapy is more expensive than publishing these days.”
That is probably the most accurate marker for ‘Sundowner at Six’.
Sundowner at Six is a little like a Govinda film.
You can simply sit back and enjoy the entertainment, or, if you are particularly determined, extract lessons on leadership, communication, organisational behaviour and the human condition for a management classroom. The raw material is there. Whether you want to make a PowerPoint out of it is entirely your problem.
It is only around Chapter 17 that the book seems to take a sharper turn towards the “philosophy” promised in the title. Before that, the philosophy is present more as a guest who has arrived for the party but is standing quietly near the bar.
There are philosophical statements under the title of each chapter, but most are not exactly “served on the rocks.” Take this from Chapter 16, Before Everything Needed a Password: “The purpose of security is to keep wrong people out. Somewhere along the way, it became remarkably effective at keeping the right people out as well. By now, even our own devices seem only marginally convinced of our identity.”
That is sharp, contemporary and perhaps philosophical, if you want to read it that way.
There are numerous illustrations. Some are justified because the subject genuinely calls for them. One could have drastically reduced the number of illustrations without causing the book any lasting emotional damage. A little less visual garnish may have made the reading smoother.
My other reservation is Ashish’s determination to milk every sentence for humour.
Wit is like Scotch: enjoyable when served in the right measure, but if poured continuously into every glass, the palate eventually begins asking for water. At times, the humour follows a recognisable template, and that slightly affects the natural flow.
But these are quibbles, not red flags.
If you enjoy humour, appreciate sarcasm as a legitimate communication tool, and have a weakness for witty one-liners, you will enjoy Sundowner at Six. It is a light, entertaining and healthy read.
Just remember: do not, I repeat, do not approach ‘Sundowner at Six ‘ expecting a heavy-duty philosophical treatise.
The philosophy here is more likely to arrive the way it does at a good sundowner: casually, unexpectedly, and usually after someone has said something funny.
Ashish says on the back cover of the book. “Pour yourself a drink. Pull up a chair. Happy hour is about to begin”. And that reminds me of what he says at the end of the book: ‘It’s all a matter of perspective. Everything, however insignificant, has a story to tell if you’re willing to pause long enough to listen’… Meantime, the sundowner is waiting, and six o’clock is never too far away’. Makes sense.
‘Sundowner At Six – Philosophy served on the rocks’ by Ashish Joshi. 153 pages. 21 Chapters. Available at Amazon and Kindle.
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