The code they lived by before they coded

Ravi Vedula’s childhood memoir of the colorful, chaotic Hyderabad of the 1980s and 1990s delivers more than vivid descriptions of local cricket heroes or an era of shared televisions.

“Hyderabad Days,” recently released by 8080 Books, pays homage to resiliency, community and values. Vedula, corporate vice president of engineering for Microsoft’s IDEAS team, describes how the scramble for a few rupees for a cricket ball became a penchant for innovation. Childhood disputes fostered diplomatic skills. Friendships defied class. It is the story of how those joy-soaked years forged the instincts of an engineer and, later, the perspective of a leader.   

Microsoft’s imprint, 8080 Books, works with authors to explore how technology is shaping society, work and human experience. All revenue is donated to nonprofit organizations through Microsoft Philanthropies.