Six Degrees of Education

South Asian Journalists Association: Ignatius Chithelen, author "Six Degrees of Education", fund manager, business adviser and former journalist, and Gary Shapiro, former Skadden Arps lawyer and current journalist will discuss the book. Monday September 26, 2016. 6 pm to 8 pm. Throckmorton Gallery, 57 St.

REGISTER: http://www.saja.org/event-2324266

PRINCETON (& COLUMBIA) CLUB, NEW YORK SEPT.27, 2016

In his book Six Degrees of Education, Ignatius Chithelen describes how he successfully changed careers such as a teaching in a middle school and a college in Mumbai to working as an analyst and portfolio manager in New York. Previously, Chithelen was at SoGen Funds in New York, now First Eagle funds which manages over $90 billion, and had worked at Forbes. A Chartered Financial Analyst, he has an M Phil in Development Economics and, from Columbia University, an MS in Journalism. Chithelen is the founder of Banyan Tree Capital Management.

(http://www.columbiaclub.org/event/changing-careers-from-teaching-in-mumbai-to-finance-in-new-york/?fref=0916-events)

PRAISE FOR SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION: BEST INTRODUCTION TO INDIA. GUIDE TO CHANGING CAREERS.

SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION BY IGNATIUS CHITHELEN IS THE BEST INTRODUCTION TO INDIA FOR STUDENTS, ACADEMICS AND TRAVELERS, INVESTORS AND BUSINESS FOLK AND ALL WHO ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE WORLD'S LARGEST DEMOCRACY AND ITS PEOPLE.

AS HE TELLS HIS STORY, CHITHELEN WEAVES IN KEY INSIGHTS ON INDIA AND INDIANS:

AN EDUCATION SYSTEM WHICH PRODUCES WORLD CLASS ENGINEERS, DOCTORS AND EXECUTIVES BUT ALSO 15% OF GRADUATES WHO ARE UNEMPLOYED;

AGE BASED COMPETITIVE EXAMS FOR ADMISSION TO TOP COLLEGES AND MOST JOBS;

POLITICS BASED ON FIVE RELIGIONS, FOUR CASTES AND OVER 20 MAJOR NATIONALITIES;

AND INDIA'S BUSINESS CONDITIONS, CONTROLLED BY GROUPS WHICH ENJOY MONOPOLIES

SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION IS ALSO A UNIQUELY HELPFUL GUIDE TO THOSE SEEKING TO CHANGE CAREERS, BASED ON CHITHELEN'S MOVE FROM TEACHING AND JOURNALISM IN MUMBAI TO WORKING IN FINANCE IN NEW YORK.

“Part advice to young professionals, this is a fun read…Adventures in Mumbai and New York are told with a reporter's eye and a financier's tallying of life's wins and losses.”

Sree Sreenivasan, Chief Digital Officer, New York City; former CDO Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Professor Columbia School of Journalism.

“This memoir extraordinaire is pure pleasure accompanied by humor, innocent charm, and an intelligent voice …It holds great appeal for both the hard cover and digital generations.”

Carol Pozefsky, Former Anchor/Reporter NBC and CBS Radio Networks

“A fascinating journey from the teeming hustle of Mumbai to the financial markets of New York…The events, people and Chithelen’s honesty make the story endearing. “

Anand Sudarshan, serial entrepreneur & former chief executive Manipal Global Education Services

"The intellectual range and curiosity of this superbly written book is the perfect remedy to the shortsighted perspective of many business thinkers…It offers the perfect balance of personal details and the big-picture insights of an informed observer. This is a must-read…to understand the significance of globalism today."

Charles A. Riley II, Professor of journalism, City University of New York, & author of Small Business, Big Politics

“A unique perspective on education, careers, politics and business in India…You also see New York and America differently as Chithelen makes his way from journalism to finance and builds a life far away from Mumbai.”

Alby Anand Kurian, faculty MDIS Singapore and author of The Peddler of Soaps

"This is a fascinating profile of a coming of age intellectually, spiritually and professionally. Chithelen does not give up despite setbacks, side roads, a temperament that causes him to get into arguments with bosses. There is tremendous humor and a delightful willingness to admit less than macho attitudes - giving up on camping because of the dislike of snakes and bees. He gives life to all his characters - the clothes, their hair. His book is entertaining and instructive - and charming. He has some rare insights - how selling in flea markets is a big plus when analyzing stocks later."

Penelope Karageorge, reporter The National Herald/Ethnikos Kyrix (Greece) and author “Stolen Moments.”

"Ignatius Chithelen has been a schoolteacher, reporter, copy editor, investment analyst, founder of a fund, advisor to flea market vendors. But all he has ever managed, as he freely admits in this funny, moving, and relentlessly candid memoir, is to retain his independence and integrity...I wish more Everymen would write books like this one".

Ashok Mahadevan, former editor Reader’s Digest India and author of upcoming Storm in a Teacup – his first and last novel.

SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION: FROM TEACHING IN MUMBAI TO INVESTMENT RESEARCH IN NEW YORK by Ignatius Chithelen

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Ignatius Chithelen views himself as a goat rather than as an Asian Tiger - he read Dostoevsky instead of mastering calculus, while in college in Mumbai. Though he got six degrees, his going to college was perhaps an accident.

As he discusses his education, Chithelen offers insights into how a series of competitive exams enables India to produce world class engineers, doctors and chief executives, while 15% of college graduates are unemployed. He also analyzes the puzzle of winning Indian political elections, which is based on shifting alliances between five religions, four caste and 22 major language groups.

He looks at why The Economist and The Financial Times have thrived while other legacy print publications have been crippled by new online rivals, says that the for-profit academic publishing business is ripe for disruption by non-profit publishers and discusses the success of Indian professionals as entrepreneurs in the U.S.

Chithelen provides an unorthodox road map for changing careers, while discussing his jobs. He moved from journalism in Mumbai and New York to investment research at SoGen fund. It was run by a Frenchman who was a rare boss on Wall Street.

This is also a story of Chithelen losing Santa Claus in Mumbai; fearing arrest during Indira Gandhi's State of Emergency; being saved from drowning; finding a lost briefcase, with $3,880, left in a New York cab; and learning to overcome writer's block at the Columbia journalism school.

AUTHOR:

Ignatius Chithelen was a reporter at Forbes and has written for The New York Times, Barron’s and Knowledge@Wharton. His six degrees include Journalism from Columbia University and Philosophy from Mumbai University. A Chartered Financial Analyst, he manages Banyan Tree Capital in New York.

Ignatius continues to write and has been quoted in The Financial Times, Barron’s, Bloomberg and Forbes.

He advises businesses, including start-ups at the Columbia University's IE Program. He has spoken at events organized by the Wharton School, Harvard Club of New York and others. He plays golf and squash, both quite badly. Ignatius is interested in promoting access to education and civil liberties.

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION:

UNITED STATES:

Paperback via Amazon: AMAZON

E-Book

via Amazon: AMAZON E-BOOK

Hardcover via Barnes & Noble: HARD COVER BARNES & NOBLE

INDIA

All Editions via AMAZON: AMAZON INDIA

CANADA:

Paperback & E-Book via Amazon: AMAZON CANADA

All Editions via Chapters.Indigo E-book: E-BOOK CANADA

UNITED KINGDOM:

Paperback and E-Book via AMAZON: AMAZON UK

Paperback and Hardback via Waterstones: WATERSTONES UK

Sunday, December 11, 2016

TO PURCHASE A COPY OF "SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION"

BY IGNATIUS CHITHELEN:

This extract was published on the cover of India Abroad's magazine section.

It is the leading Indian publication in the U.S. and Canada and part of Rediff. com, a leading news site in India.

India Today Online, India's Leading Magazine

This extract got over 5,500 reader shares in the first ten days:

[Book extract] NRI students face intense competition for the limited quota of Asian seats at the top colleges in America.

Author Ignatius Chithelen chats with Gary Shapiro, journalist

Host: South Asian Journalists Association

Six Degrees of Education: book discussion photos Event Details: SOUTH ASIAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION BOOK EVENT: SIX DEGREES OF EDUCATION

Book discussion and signing by Ignatius Chithelen. South Asian Journalists Association; Columbia Club, New York