In this memoir, K. Pradeep Chandra, IAS, looks back at his life and offers an insight into the life of an Indian civil servant. Chandra narrates how it was his father s dream that he become a bureaucrat and change the lives of at least 100 people. Having left his corporate job and choosing IAS as his calling, the author has traversed a journey that has taken him through triumph and turmoil alike. In this book, he writes about his training period in Mussoorie, making friends along the way, being posted in oft disturbed areas and facing social unrest, the Emergency, his experiences in rural India, his experience with veteran politicians such as N.T. Rama Rao and K. Chandrashekar Rao, and his fondness for the city of Hyderabad. Although personal, this memoir furnishes readers with a glimpse of society in India in both its vulnerable and glorious moments. This is a helpful guide for all IAS aspirants.