Pandemics Paradigms & Pachyderms: Change Made Easy

What weighs nine ounces, contains brightly colored pictures of jungle animals, and discusses such complex subjects as team building, crisis management, and pandemic preparedness in simplistic terms that anyone can understand?  The answer is Denver Roopchand’s engaging and educational book, “Pandemics Paradigms & Pachyderms.”

While the title of this book is somewhat complicated, the content is definitely not.  The narrative is laid out in simple fable form based on the premise that a herd of elephants on the African plain become nervous about a mysterious illness that has killed several animals at a watering hole a few days’ journey away.  The Matriarch of the herd, Alexa, wonders if a pandemic might be in the making.  The rest of the herd is not so sure.  Alexa decides that it is better to be safe than sorry and organizes the herd into disaster preparedness teams.  As the situation worsens, a nearby pride of lions and a band of gorillas also become convinced that a pandemic is in the making and decide to join forces with the elephants to meet the threat.  Working together, they manage to avert a serious catastrophe at the last moment.

Using fables to teach is not a new concept, but this approach is particularly effective for “Pandemics Paradigms & Pachyderms.”  There are several reasons for this. For one thing, the book reduces complicated concepts into easy to grasp ideas, and that is a big plus for intellectual Luddites like me who believe that less is always more.  For another, Doctor Roopchand knows what he is talking about. A quick review of his biography on the inside back cover makes that abundantly clear.  Finally, the book is the result of a family effort that includes inputs from his wife and children.  This seems to add charm and levity to an otherwise serious subject.

It would be tempting for a serious business management student to dismiss this book as a lighthearted “Doctor Doolittle Gets an MBA” type work. That would be a mistake.  There are numerous guidelines, task lists, and pointers on team building and crisis management throughout the book.  I particularly recommend the last chapter which provides lessons learned during the pandemic crisis. It’s almost as if Doctor Roopchand wanted to provide a crib sheet for anyone that might be tested on the book later.

“Pandemics Paradigms & Pachyderms” reminds me one of those all-in-one kitchen tools that slices, dices, and chops.  It can provide a quick read for busy executives who want to get a handle on crisis management and team building; as a source for lesson plans to train middle managers tasked with effecting change through reorganization; or as a source of information for readers of all ages curious about pandemics and the threat they pose to civilization.  It’s a great book, and to Doctor Roopchand, his family, Alexa, and all the elephants, lions and gorillas who made this book possible, I say.  Well done.  Well done indeed!

Pandemics Paradigms & Pachyderms
Denver Roopchand
Privately Published (2007)
ISBN 9780979232008
Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (5/08)