In an intimate and inspiring\n account of the life of a middle-class Indian living in a joint family, An\n Uncivil Servant vividly recounts the life of a refugee's son, from the\n streets of Allahabad to the corridors of bureaucracy.It delves into the\n private and the public life of Ravi Mohan Sethi of the IAS to provide an\n insider's account of the various trappings of the government.His\n grandfather's motto was 'chakki, charkha, te sarfa' (hard work, self-reliance\n and thrift) and it taught Ravi Mohan Sethi, while he was still a child,\n virtues and lessons that would stand him in good stead as he grew up to deal\n with players in the political arena.Intertwined with the personal struggles\n and triumphs of Ravi Mohan Sethi, are aspects of Indian culture, tradition and\n mannerisms, preserved for posterity and offering a glimpse into life as it\n was just after partition.Simply written, vivid and lucid, An Uncivil Servant\n captures an extraordinary man as well as the essence of the Indian way of\n life.