My consulting career has allowed me to travel to many different cities in the United States and thus has enabled me to take rides with many local drivers who live their lives in these cities. Their different personalities and unique experiences have fascinated me, and most of the drivers have opened up with me in conversation, sharing their experiences, their personal lives, and their dreams and aspirations from this great country. Sometimes, these conversations have become enlightening moments, and I’ve realized that people will often share their most personal stories with a complete stranger -- stories they might think twice about sharing with a friend or family member.

From an African American driver who narrated her struggle and ultimate triumph over drugs when she chose education, to the driver who shared the personal agony he faced when he learned his wife had been diagnosed as HIV-positive long before they were married.  I met a driver who wanted to go for an exotic vacation with his school buddies but was afraid to ask his girlfriend for permission and a musician driver who was determined to find her birth parents and was richly rewarded.

In my travels, I’ve also been fortunate enough to have Uber rides in my native country of India, where I’ve also gained an understanding of the dreams and ambitions of people on the opposite side of the world.

This book is inspired by these global travels and discussions with the drivers who have taken me around the world, sharing their pains, dreams, successes, aspirations and ambitions as they all struggle to survive in our shared world.