The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk - Sudha Murthy

A summary of each story from the warm book.

1) Bombay to Bangalore: Helping a potential beggar girl to become a software engineer in US through sustained help.
2) Rahman’s Avva: A poor farming woman brings up neighbour’s child as her own inspite of different religion – Broad Heart.
3) Ganga’s ghat: Anyone can do social work like Ganga who provides bathing water in a village.
4) The Day I Stopped Drinking Milk : the Indian attitude towards guests despite poverty.
5) Changing India: western thoughts on India – then & now
6) Genes: Only diseases but not honesty and integrity are passed down to the next generation through genes.
7) Helping the dead: a group of young people who form a voluntary organization to help poor people who have nobody to cremate or bury their dead ones.
8) Three ponds: Sacrifices of three different women for providing water to others; living eternally for their deeds.
9) No man’s garden: A rich farmer growing vegetables in a wasteland for the poor and needy.
10) Sticky bottoms: Friend who talks too much.
11) Too many questions: How managers try to come in between the donor and the receiver; misconception prevents us from helping.
12) Gift of sacrifice: A young cowherd sacrifices his life for his village while giving the message from a soldier to the captain – the importance of history.
13) Bad Help: Helping somebody may be lifelong burden for him to carry and how people change after acquiring wealth.
14) Sharing with a ghost: a young man learns from a ghost that “in life sharing is important”.
15) Foot in the mouth: people who gossip and how they make themselves cheap.
16) Miserable success: Being successful does not necessarily mean being happy.
17) Shraddha: Girls and boys, sons and daughters are equal – bravery to do what we believe.
18) Lazy Portado: we should study, get knowledge, learn skills and work hard – not mere networking.
19) Uncle Sam: Regret on going to America.
20) You should have asked me: people want their egos to be fed and we should act in accordance to greater good that we desire and not to be hurt.
21) A mother’s love : a mother climbs a hill and jumps down in order to be with her baby.
22) Do you remember: we only remember what we consider as important.
23) 7 lessons:
First lesson: Only children tell the truth and are real judges of one’s talent.
Second lesson: You cannot substitute many things in life with money.
Third Lesson: Wherever there is money, people like to take advantage of the situation and maximize their return.
Fourth lesson: our personal material things become a burden to the next generation
Fifth lesson: To be patient and to recognize people’s intentions.
Sixth lesson: We must stand up for ourselves and follow our heart, even if other people do not always agree with us or like it.
Seventh lesson: on public speaking and how we are praised when something is expected from us.
Eighth lesson: When a person becomes a compassionate leader, they do not belong to one country.