Learning about Finances with Author Samar Vijay

Finance is complicated. Especially for common person, it a subject, difficult to grasp and understand. One may go all bonkers if they have to deal it every day. But for people dealing it every day and treating the subject as their love, it an easy subject. 

Financial Expert Samar Vijay in his book, ‘A Tryst with Money’ explains that money matters can be a romantic endeavor too. In an exclusive chat with Strokes of Pen, he explains his ideologies behind the book and its concept.

Q1.  Normally, finance people are considered to be serious and practical. How did venturing into book writing happened?

Samar: Finance as a subject itself is considered serious, as you rightly presumed. However, it need not be as such because I personally believe a subject that touches almost every human life should not be out of bounds. May be seriousness around finance is a deliberate move by a few who intend to control. This book is an effort to break the taboo. I have tried to make finance simple for general mass and believe me most of the time consumed in writing the book was to present the concept in a simple and readable manner.

Q2. Was publishing a novel something, you wanted since childhood or was it a wish grown late?

Samar: I guess writing is a wish most creative people aspire to. As avid book reader, I always preferred writers who could make even a complex subject sound simple and fun. Through this book, I have tried to paint a simplistic picture about money. It may not be obvious, but this book is a result of my own struggles with money.

Q3. In your book, ‘A Tryst with Money’, what should a reader except to find?

Samar:The book has taken an angular approach towards money where I claim that people are driven by the designs of money, not necessarily otherwise. Explained with historical anecdotes, one should be able to logically decipher how the world has reached to this stage. So on one end, reader would come to know the tools to becoming rich; they would also be advised on its consequences, both social and material.

The book is different due to its conversational writing style aimed primarily at offering a casual read on a complex subject. Another highlight of the book is that the stories are derived from Indian context essentially to remind the forgotten truth about India’s contribution to world’s economy. The book aims to expose the complete truth about money we take for granted. If reading the book leaves you anxious and concerned, it has served its purpose.

Q4. Tryst is related to romance while money is practical area. How have brought these two largely different niches together?

Samar:I am glad you brought up the critical paradox about the title. The answer lies in the question itself. Complexity of a subject is perceptional because the person looks at the subject from a distance. I intended to break the wall of glass. When read as fun, a person is likely to feel the subject sitting right next to her. I want readers to feel money and observe its behavior very closely.

Q5. Is it advice-providing book or does it dig into matter related to money?

Samar:Both. (Answer to #5 is relevant here). Additionally, I intend the reader to understand the implications of our own behavior outside the context concerning money. Note that money plays much larger role in our lives than we imagine.

Q6. For a common person, like me, who does not understand the basic concepts of finance – will this book solve most of the questions?

Samar: Really it should, otherwise the book would not have served its purpose. So for example, if you want to be financially free and at the same time would love to chase your passion (a contradictory scenario presumably); this book should be able to offer you help.

Q7. Any advice or anything you would like to share with our reader?

Samar: On conceptual side, I want readers to know that money is our collective responsibility. It is our responsibility where and how we want to take money forward. I want people to know they are responsible for currency notes sitting in someone else’s wallet.

On factual side, I want people to know about India’s contributions to global economy historically. We cannot view money only from the stories of other countries. After all, India was the largest economy all the way till the Industrial Revolution. People of India must know why we lost out, and better yet, how we built super economy to the world’s envy.