To celebrate World Book Day, we invited a select group of leaders and experts from across the industry to reflect on the transformative power of the written word. We asked them to look beyond data and strategy and share the stories that shaped their thinking and the pages they return to for inspiration. In this special feature, Sarika Kaul, Founder, Beyond 360 Publicity, offers a personal glimpse into her literary journey—revealing the books that serve as a compass in both life and leadership. Read on.
Sarika’s reflection:
One book that’s had an impact on me: The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy. This book has been truly life-altering for me. I came to it during one of the biggest crises of my professional life, and it became an anchor. It helped me sail through that period with more clarity than I thought I had in me — sharpening my decision-making and keeping me focused on what I actually wanted, rather than what I feared.
In crisis, it is extremely difficult to stay positive and focused. Even good books, close friends, and everything else can fall short. But this book is different. It goes to the root of the problem — it deals directly with how to stay focused and positive even when you are going through trouble.
When a book finds you at exactly the right moment, it doesn’t just inform you — it transforms you. This one did.
A quote I connect with: “Change your thoughts, and you change your destiny.” — Joseph Murphy
It sounds simple until you’ve actually tested it under pressure. When everything around you feels uncertain, realising that you still have complete ownership over your inner dialogue — that was the shift for me. Driving your own narration is tough, but that’s exactly what this book teaches you — to take charge of your destiny.
And honestly, it reminds me of what Shah Rukh said it best in his own way — “Kissi cheez ko itni shiddat se chaho ke poori kaynaat usse tumse milaane ki saazish karne lage.” Murphy said it in prose. SRK said it in poetry. The truth is the same.
What reading means to me: For me, reading is therapeutic. It gives me that necessary pause from the relentless pace of business life. Between running a company and coming home to two toddlers, even 15 minutes with a book feels like a luxury — and I guard it. As a kid and through my early college years, I made it a habit to read whatever was recommended by people I looked up to. That practice quietly shaped who I became.
One person stands out. A friend of my mother’s — a woman who ran her father’s business, pursued her MBA when her child was just two years old, and went on to become a lecturer at some of the most respected institutions. She recommended books on marketing that nudged me towards the field I now call my own. I don’t think she realised how much that meant. But those books, and her example, helped make me who I am today.
My recommendation: Top on my list to anyone is The power of your Subconscious mind, other that I would recommend reading Wings of Fire — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, The Psychology of Money — Morgan Housel , and Metamorphosis — Franz Kafka.
- Wings of Fire — A.P.J. Abdul Kalam: A boy from Rameswaram who sold newspapers to support his family, went on to lead India’s missile programme and became the People’s President. The book is less about achievement and more about the fuel behind it — curiosity, humility, and an unshakeable belief that your origins don’t determine your ceiling. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to dream bigger and complain less.
- The Psychology of Money — Morgan Housel: Most of us think financial success is about knowing the right numbers. Housel argues it’s almost entirely about behaviour — patience, ego, fear, greed, and the stories we tell ourselves about money. One of his core ideas: doing well with money has little to do with how smart you are and a lot to do with how you behave. A quiet but genuinely eye-opening read for anyone in business.
- Metamorphosis — Franz Kafka: A man wakes up one morning transformed into a giant insect. What follows is not horror — it’s a haunting meditation on identity, family, and what happens when you can no longer be useful to the people around you. It stays with you in ways you can’t quite explain.
