"When a man does not know harbour he is making for, no wind is the right wind"

Extra Ordinary Life Story of A Turkish Jew

An Essential Man is the narration of a life struggle... The burden of being a minority in a society, wealth tax and a devastated family with this. But, no matter what happened a determined young man who never gave up these difficulties: Ishak Alaton.
With this book of Mehmet Gundem we are witnessing Ishak Alaton's life struggle, his breaking moments, happiness, his willing of starting over no matter what happened, his infinite willing of learning, the struggles of overcome himself and his intention to leave a mark to life even if it was a small one.
Ishak Alaton, who started to his business life as communication officer, who then backed to his country as technical artist but could not find job just because of not having technical certificate and who decided to start his own business, is telling us how they met his partner Uzeyir Garih, how they established today's ALARKO Holding and the struggles they made. Furthermore, he is sharing his modest family life and the relationships with his children.

Behind all this, he is enlightening a period of Turkey. An Essential Man is a success story in which a life that was full of up and down was told.