STEVE WAUGH OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE The autobiography Viking PP: 801 Price: Rs 895

At around 800 pages and 1.5 kg, Steve Waugh's autobiography (Steve Waugh, Out of my Comfort Zone) is what book-critics habitually refer to as a doorstopper. That, this book, written by Waugh himself without the ubiquitous ghost writer, is. In some ways, it is also pretty much like the typical Steve Waugh innings, determined, functional (not beautiful or polished), and honest. As indicated by its size, this is a book that doesn't leave out much of Waugh's life, from his birth on June 2, 1965, to the 2003-04 series in Australia that India famously tied. And it covers almost every bit of cricket Waugh has ever played.

Cricket fanatics, those of the breed that are fond of the written word and Waugh especially, will doubtless read this book, and like it. After all, it was during Waugh's reign as captain of the Australian cricket team that it became the best in the world, in both versions (Test and one-day) of the game.

Captaining a team, however, is also about using best the resources at hand (read: the skills of team-members), planning and strategising, and continually motivating people. In many ways, that isn't very different from running a company and extending this analogy, for some time in the early 2000s, Waugh ran the best company in the world (actually, he made it the best company in the world, one reason why his autobiography is being reviewed here, in a business magazine). He also changed the way Test cricket is played, and teams like South Africa, England, even India have tried to emulate the Waugh model of scoring fast while batting and attacking consistently, while bowling; that formula, has, over the past few years, served Test cricket well, producing more results (than draws) and attracting crowds to the game.

Management-types looking for any insights on this (building and running a great team/company) will not be disappointed. Waugh's book has enough of the same, though much of them remain unstated, and people wishing to benefit from them will have to master the art of reading between the lines (those who can't will have to do with John Buchanan, the current coach of Australia who was also coach during the Waugh era, and who is a regular on the lecture circuit, speaking on team-building and the like).

STOCKS TO RICHES By Parag Parikh Tata McGraw-Hill PP: 128 Price: Rs 195

INVESTING 101

It's a great time to be writing a book on stock market investing. When this review was being written, the Sensex was hovering near 9,000, and an ecstatic Dalal Street was chanting 10,000. But Parag Parikh's book, despite its alluring title, isn't about how to profit from the stock boom. Rather, it's a guide to sane investing. In simple English, Parikh, a Mumbai-based stockbroker, starts by explaining the concept of investing, how it is different from speculation, why investors behave the way they do, and then wraps up with some interesting observations on the stock market bubble. The book is loosely edited, but if you are willing to overlook it, then you will be rewarded with some straightforward advice on investing. Of particular interest to readers who don't take investing seriously will be the chapter on mental accounting, which talks about how people tend to differentiate between gifted income and earned income, and be liberal in spending the former. Parikh's advice: Treat all income as earnings. At Rs 195, the book may be the smartest investment the irregular investor can make.