ParamGun Sood Collection

The ParamGun Sood Collection consists of contemporary fiction titles by South Asian authors of Indian descent and by Indian-American authors.

This collection was made possible through the generosity of NEIU Dean Emeritus Mohan K. Sood, Ph.D.

Books in the ParamGun Sood Collection

View a complete list of titles in the collection via RefShare.

Notes from Our Donor

The Collection of works by Indian-American (and Indian) authors is established at Northeastern Illinois University as it is not only the institution of my professional career and but also an institution dearest to my heart. The life at Northeastern has been a life of personal fulfillment, happiness, respect and integrity.

The Collection honors the life of two women extremely important in my life. The first is my mother Gunvanti (which means full of goodness) who died when I was three and a half years old. I have only a very faint memory of her. However, my father and other family friends and relatives have told me that she was a woman true to the meaning of her name. The second is my paternal grandmother Parameshwari (which means supreme like the Divine) who raised me. I had a great bond of love and immense devotion to my grandmother. She was not formally educated but was able to flawlessly recite mantras and prayers in Sanskrit from the Hindu Scriptures. That is how she started her every morning in India. The name of the Collection the ParamGun which means the supreme goodness or excellence - is a synthesis of the names of these women. It is instituted to honor and celebrate their lives.

In her native wisdom, my grandmother inculcated in me the five Points of Value: Education, Work Ethic, Respect for Others, Love and the Duty to Give/Share. These five values have guided me and played an important role in shaping my life, both personally and professionally. My wife Minni and I strongly feel that our greatest achievement is our family nurtured with these values. The Collection is my way of expressing thanks to the women in my life for bestowing those intangibles - their blessings and good wishes - for harmony in our life. What other way to celebrate and honor them than to name and build a collection of books a reflection of excellence of creativity of human mind that fosters continuous learning and education! It is a great personal satisfaction to establish a tradition to continue. I am immensely grateful to the leadership at the Library at Northeastern for accepting my offer. The project has been in the works for almost a year.

Mohan K. Sood, Ph.D.
Dean Emeritus
Northeastern Illinois University

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