While many people around the world pursue the American Dream, few succeed with honors as the author of this book did. Neil Ghosh left India for the US at the age of 22 and, over the next few decades, became a remarkable success story. During his career, which alternated between government, the private sector, and global development, he hobnobbed with notable figures such as Joe Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Shimon Peres, Ghanaian President John Kufuor, and the Dalai Lama. In his later career, when he was involved in global development, he collaborated with eminent personalities including Amartya Sen, Angelina Jolie, Malala Yousafzai, and Muhammad Yunus.
A Journey of Purpose: From Kolkata to the World Stage
From another perspective, Neil Ghosh was an ordinary guy from Kolkata, with a not-quite-advantaged background. His parents were simple Bengali folk who lived in a two-room apartment in Kolkata, a city that was crumbling in the 1970s. His father, a union leader, was incarcerated during the Emergency imposed by the then Indian prime minister. That became a turning point for the son. At that time, 14-year-old Neil’s biggest concern was the embarrassment he and his mother would face as they requested a tuition waiver from his school, as they could no longer afford to pay the fees. He was also mortified that his friends would discover his financial plight. In those moments, his mother turned the situation around by offering a few sentences that gave him a new viewpoint: she said his father was the champion of the vulnerable people. That he gave voice to those who could not be heard, and that Neil had no reason to feel ashamed. In those simple few lines, Nilima Ghosh turned her son’s humiliation and resentment into a source of pride and obligation, an episode that he would remember for the rest of his life.
Eventually, Ghosh settled in the US and has lived and worked there for most of his life, a significant portion of which has been spent within the global development sector. He currently holds many titles: President of MGR Professional Services, senior advisor to the Ousri Family Foundation, and former CEO of SOS Children’s Villages USA and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation USA.
‘Do More Good: Inspiring Lessons from Extraordinary People’ is Ghosh’s ode to personal fulfillment while simultaneously leading a life of contribution, spanning primarily the US and India. The author seeks to convey what it takes to create value in a world of constant change, drawing on his experience and the careers of extraordinary people he has met. The book, which features a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, comprises 29 portraits of illustrious individuals (including those listed above) and the insights he has gleaned from their remarkable achievements. Aimed at the common reader, especially youth, Ghosh seeks to spark a diverse range of ideas within the population, tailored to their unique capabilities, while encouraging them to contribute to the betterment of others.
A central theme that runs through Neil Ghosh’s well-received new book is the idea of micro-good, or doing the best one can within one’s given circumstances to uplift others and, in the process, uplift oneself as well.
The Power of “Micro-Good”: Making a Difference, One Small Act at a Time
A central theme that runs through Ghosh’s book is the idea of micro-good, or doing the best one can within one’s given circumstances to uplift others and, in the process, uplift oneself as well. By the time he was a youth, and before he even knew what the word ‘agency’ meant, Ghosh had founded the Calcutta Youth Club in his hometown as a platform for youth to connect with each other. Members of the club at the time would organize neighborhood clean-ups and cultural programs. It was a small start that was to foretell his future actions and career. In the book, he advises readers to start small, within their immediate environment, and to build from there, taking small actions that can often have a huge impact. Such as starting a journal or blog to document one’s thoughts for future generations; participating in mentoring programs at work or in one’s community; or practising active listening in a discussion, especially with those who hold different views, and many more such useful suggestions.
A Tapestry of Icons: Diversity and Inspiration
Ghosh’s book is a paean to diversity, as it features former US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie, basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bangladeshi economic icon Muhammad Yunus, Indian-born economist Amartya Sen, politicians Joe Biden, Bill and Hillary Clinton, Pakistani education activist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai, among others. He also includes some of his personal icons, such as Asok Motayed, who mentored him in the US, Mohamed Ousri, a Moroccan philanthropist who also helps development in India, and the late Somnath Chatterjee, the former Speaker of the lower house of the Indian Parliament.
Yet, by his own account, two of the most spiritual moments of his life were when he met Mother Teresa and the Dalai Lama. Ghosh vividly describes the effects of these encounters in the book, particularly some electric moments of energy transmission with Mother Teresa. As he writes, when Mother Teresa gripped his hand in affection, something magical happened: “All of a sudden, I felt a unique sensation flowing through my body that even today I can’t properly explain. I was completely flooded with utter joy at her love, compassion, mercy, and greatness, and completely conscious of the dignity of every human person on Earth, irrespective of race, religion, or nationality.”
The book, which features a Foreword by the Dalai Lama, comprises 29 portraits of illustrious individuals and the insights Neil Ghosh has gleaned from their remarkable achievements. He seeks to convey what it takes to create value in a world of constant change, drawing on his experience and the careers of extraordinary people he has met.
A Family’s Legacy: Empathy and a North Star
Living with empathy and purpose are other themes in this very readable book, particularly when Ghosh discusses his parents and the relatively humble background he came from. His father, Chitta Ranjan Ghosh, worked at the local power supply company and struggled to make ends meet. But when the 1971 Indo-Pak war broke out and Bangladeshi refugees flooded Kolkata, his mother made sure that any refugee coming to their house didn’t return empty-handed. Writes Ghosh: “At times I would wonder (as an 11-12 year old) why more people seemed to come to our house than to other houses. After all, we lived on the third floor, so it was a lot more work to get there.” He got his answer when a refugee, a feeble old woman in a white sari, informed him it was because his mother never said ‘no’ to anyone in need! His mother’s example to help the less fortunate served as his ‘North Star’ when Ghosh later went out into the world, the author writes.
‘Do More Good’ is a technically brilliant book, the joint effort of many people, several of whom are editors and mentors who have provided invaluable support to the author on his life’s journey and literary undertaking. The parts where it is particularly outstanding, however, are when Ghosh talks about his own life and family with simplicity and truthfulness. The last chapter (which gave me goosebumps) is devoted to his son Ryan, the offspring of his Anglo-American wife Michele and himself, who would be nearly 29 years old now, and whom Ghosh considers his legacy to the world. As Ghosh writes: “Language was a massive barrier between Ryan and his Dida (grandmother) and Dadai (grandfather). My parents spoke broken and limited English, and long-distance phone conversations made it even more complicated. Ryan made numerous visits to India – some with me, some with Michele, and some alone. Even during those limited and scattered visits, Ryan learned many valuable lessons from his grandparents in India.
“These visits to India taught me about myself,” Ryan is quoted in the book. “From my grandparents, I learned empathy and courage. Despite living in conditions below the American poverty line – a small, open-air flat with no running water and no car – they insisted on sending money to others who had even less. Growing up, I felt their warmth and love, and witnessed how they treated everyone with respect and dignity, no matter their caste or background.”
This may point to an irony of life that sometimes the most materially affluent can also be the most insecure, stingy, and grasping, and have deep-seated mental or emotional issues that might require attention. While many who have not experienced material wealth may find happiness in community, in learning to be content, and in helping those less fortunate than themselves. As someone who has bridged both worlds in one lifetime, Ghosh has been privy to both realities. And that is truly wonderful.
‘Do More Good: Inspiring Lessons from Extraordinary People’ by Neil Ghosh was published in June 2025 by Post Hill Press. It is available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Do-More-Good-Inspiring-Extraordinary/dp/B0DJZFG75Z
Also read an exclusive interview Neil Ghosh gave to Lotus:
