About the Book
Table of Contents:
I: Of Burgers and Blindness: The Mechanics of the Aravind Model
II: Do More Take Less: Self-Reliance and Aravind’s Work Ethos
III: Design Begins with Empathy: How Compassion Can Drive Innovation
IV: Training our Competition: Experiences with Replication and Scale
V: How Do You Retire a Saint?: The Dilemma and Opportunity of the Future
Conclusion: Will You Claim Immortality?
About the Author :
Pavithra K. Mehta is an award-winning filmmaker and journalist. She is a board member of the Aravind Eye Foundation and CharityFocus and coeditor of the latter's inspirational news service, DailyGood. Dr. V. is her granduncle.
Suchitra Shenoy has more than a decade of experience in the social sector, most recently at the Monitor Group, where she was a founding member of Monitor Inclusive Markets.
Review :
“Reveals the power of a model that combines business discipline with compassion. May the wisdom of Dr. V and Aravind shared here inspire many such initiatives for the well-being of future generations.”
—Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and founder, Grameen Bank
“A must-read for anyone interested in leadership, service, and the building of institutions that release the best energies of the human spirit.”
—Jacqueline Novogratz, founder and CEO, Acumen Fund, and author of The Blue Sweater
“Aravind may be a case study for MBA students and a model social business, but to me this book told a story with elegance, clarity, and intimacy.”
—Fred de Sam Lazaro, Correspondent, PBS NewsHour
“In the world of blindness Dr. V has performed a miracle.”
—Ram Dass, author of Be Here Now and cofounder, Seva Foundation
“In an increasingly complex world where making money and doing good are dichotomized, this thought-provoking story of Dr. V and the Aravind Eye Care System should be required reading for current and future business and charity leaders. Only by breaking down the false separation between business practices and community needs will our societies prosper.”
—Dr. Pamela Hartigan, Director, Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship, University of Oxford, and coauthor of The Power of Unreasonable People
“Most business books completely fail to communicate the human and intuitive side of organizational and business success. This book explores both very effectively while describing practical achievements as well. If you aspire to combine entrepreneurship and innovation with higher life purpose, then there can be no better guide than Infinite Vision and the life of Dr. V. But beware. Once you are ensnared it will be impossible to escape!”
—Tim Brown, CEO, IDEO, and author of Change by Design
“A deftly crafted book that relates how Aravind triumphed in business by focusing on compassion. It is rich with lessons that come to life through the vivid personalities of Aravind’s torchbearers—their insights on leadership and management forge a path forward for the social as well as corporate sectors. An important and compelling read.”
—V. Kasturi Rangan, Malcolm P. McNair Professor of Marketing, Harvard Business School, and cofounder of the HBS Social Enterprise Initiative
“A stirring account of how one man’s faith and pragmatism healed millions. Infinite Vision is a powerful reminder that any of us can overcome the most severe of obstacles and rise to unparalleled heights of spiritual and practical achievement.”
—Huston Smith, Professor of Religion and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Syracuse University, and author of The World’s Religions
“Infinite Vision offers a lucid and moving account of the Aravind story while detailing its greatest lesson to the world: compassion, when focused with clear goals, thoughtful strategies, and sound management practices, can yield incredible results.”
—Steve Hilton, President and CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation
“Those seeking inspiration from a spiritual journey or insight into innovative business practices—attributes not normally found in the same story—will benefit from this narration of a profoundly impactful adventure.”
—Dr. Alfred Sommer, MHS, Dean Emeritus, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
“This is that rare book that informs you on how to put your compassion to work. Through the accessible genius of the Aravind model of business, you will find a gateway with a road map for you to find your own personal brand of compassion in your work and in your life.”
—Dr. Mark S. Albion, cofounder, Net Impact, and author of True to Yourself and Making a Life, Making a Living
“A story about an organizational marvel, this book is somehow internally illuminated. It has plot, poetry, and emotion—things you don’t expect from a business title. The writing pierces through management abstractions, and what remains is the rootedness of a family, the crazy-beautiful daring, the labor and the thrift, the sense of ‘what else is there to do?’”
—Amulya Gopalakrishnan, columnist, Indian Express
“Surgery, service, soul, and sustainability weave together in this inspiring true story. The messages of this book transcend health care and business—they speak to the potential that lives within each of us.”
—Dr. William Stewart, cofounder, Institute for Health & Healing, California Pacific Medical Center, and author of Deep Medicine
“Expertly weaves through the challenges and opportunities encountered in transforming a small eye clinic into the largest eye hospital in the world. This story is a gift to aspiring change makers and leaders everywhere. Its visionary protagonist is one of the real heroes of our times.”
—Dr. Suzanne Gilbert, founding member, Seva Foundation, and Director, Center for Innovation in Eye Care
