With a Little Help from My Friends

In this tell-all memoir, Dev Lahiri, the erstwhile headmaster of prestigious institutions such as Lawrence School, Lovedale and Welham Boys' School, Dehradun, who has also served as Housemaster at Doon School, Dehradun, lays bare remarkable events from his illustrious career that was also riddled with controversies. Lahiri evokes his childhood and university days as a backdrop to the unusual choices he made in his life. He then describes how, along with the huge fulfilment that came with engaging with young minds in his profession, he also had to face the vicissitudes of having to deal with vested interests, status-quo upholders and entitled parents.

From the challenges that come with heading a residential school in India to the loneliness and vulnerability associated with the job, this is a personal account of a stormy career filled with unpredictable ups and downs. Written with simplicity and humour, With A Little Help From My Friends holds a mirror to how some of our better-known institutions are run and makes invaluable observations about our school education system.