The Seen and the Unseen - hosted by Amit Varma Ep 402: Ajay Shah Brings the Dreams of the 20th Century
Ajay Shah, co-founder and CEO of DeepMind and a pioneer in AI, delves into his diverse journey impacting India's development. He shares valuable insights on mastering time for creativity, the impact of personal narratives on identity, and the importance of reflective habits. Shah contrasts his parents' legacies, discusses India's financial evolution post-1991, and advocates for a holistic approach to economics. The conversation also touches on the intersection of individual freedom, governance, and the exciting potential of innovation in shaping a better future.
10:26:59
Calendarizing Important Activities
- Calendarize important activities far in advance to prioritize them.
- Otherwise, mundane tasks will consume your schedule.
Trekking with Namsitha and Vaishnava
- Amit Varma and Ajay Shah planned a trek months in advance.
- This demonstrates Ajay Shah's commitment to calendarizing.
Mastering Writing Formats
- Master one writing format at a time before moving on to another.
- This builds a strong foundation and muscle memory for writing.
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Intro
00:00 • 2min
Exploring the Depths of Indian Economy and Lifelong Learning
01:36 • 4min
The Power of Personal Narratives
06:05 • 8min
Mastering Time: Prioritizing Creativity and Meaningful Engagement
13:41 • 24min
The Power of Form in Creativity
37:23 • 6min
The Depth of Habits and Reflection
43:38 • 2min
From Struggles to Aspirations: A Father's Journey
46:03 • 20min
Contrasting Legacies: A Journey of Understanding
01:05:45 • 20min
From Freedom Movement to Personal Evolution
01:25:49 • 18min
Nature's Inspiration
01:43:56 • 7min
Mathematics and Personal Growth
01:51:07 • 13min
The Literary Landscape of Childhood and Its Lasting Impact
02:04:33 • 4min
Literary Journeys through Bombay
02:08:39 • 26min
Adventures in Algorithmic Thinking
02:34:34 • 8min
Educational Journeys and Transformative Connections
02:42:34 • 28min
Fertility, Economics, and the Quest for Truth
03:10:08 • 12min
Bridging Healthcare and Public Health
03:22:05 • 5min
From Idealism to Realism: A Personal Journey in Indian Governance
03:26:44 • 16min
Returning to India: A Journey of Contribution and Opportunity
03:43:07 • 2min
Navigating Choices: India's Financial Awakening
03:45:36 • 18min
Unsung Heroes of India's Economic Reform
04:03:32 • 20min
Reforming the Indian Stock Market: The Rise of the NSE
04:23:51 • 14min
Navigating Risk in Derivatives Trading
04:38:19 • 15min
A Supportive Academic Environment at IJIDR
04:53:42 • 4min
The Finance Culture Clash: Bombay vs Delhi
04:57:13 • 26min
The Lessons of Love and Life from Cats
05:22:54 • 3min
Navigating Life Lessons and Financial Transformation
05:26:18 • 4min
Navigating the Ministry of Finance: Insights and Challenges
05:30:47 • 30min
Navigating Reform: Action and Complexity in India's Governance
06:00:45 • 24min
Navigating Institutional Memory and Financial Innovation
06:25:07 • 28min
Law as Code: Navigating Freedom and Control
06:53:30 • 14min
From Finance to Freedom: A Journey of Transformation
07:07:57 • 25min
Firms, Collaboration, and Economic Growth
07:33:09 • 17min
Innovative Spirit and Collaborative Economics
07:49:53 • 4min
Navigating Financial Reform: India 2007-2016
07:53:29 • 30min
Reassessing India's Financial Regulatory Landscape
08:23:18 • 3min
Building Sustainable Communities and Healthcare
08:26:01 • 28min
Dystopian Control: The Manipulation of Dietary Choices
08:53:48 • 1min
Navigating India's Healthcare Challenges
08:55:11 • 14min
The Journey of Book Writing
09:08:59 • 8min
Innovating Governance: The XKDR Forum Journey
09:16:32 • 16min
Navigating Climate Challenges and Energy Innovation
09:32:06 • 19min
Rethinking Measurement in Economics
09:51:03 • 9min
Exploring Human Nature Through Data and AI
10:00:08 • 2min
The Serious Responsibilities of Corporate Governance
10:02:01 • 5min
Redefining Longevity: Purpose in a Changing World
10:07:05 • 15min
Influential Books and Music Recommendations
10:22:30 • 4min
Trek the Sahyadris
Harish Kapadia
Free to choose
a personal statement
Rose D. Friedman
Milton Friedman
In this book, Milton and Rose Friedman argue that free-market principles are more effective than government intervention in achieving economic prosperity and personal freedom. They critique the explosion of laws, regulations, agencies, and spending in Washington, highlighting how these have eroded freedom and undermined affluence. The book provides examples of how free markets have succeeded in various historical contexts, such as Hong Kong and the United States before the Great Depression, and contrasts these with the failures of centralized planning in countries like India. The authors also propose remedies for various economic and social issues, including education, inflation, and consumer protection, advocating for a minimalist economic policy and greater personal freedom[1][2][5].
Seeing Like a State
How Certain Schemes to Improve the Human Condition Have Failed
James C. Scott
In this book, James C. Scott examines the failures of centrally managed social plans and the destructive consequences of high-modernist ideologies. Scott argues that states often impose simplistic visions on complex societies, ignoring local, practical knowledge and leading to disastrous outcomes. He identifies four conditions common to all planning disasters: administrative ordering of nature and society, high-modernist ideology, authoritarian state power, and a prostrate civil society. The book critiques various utopian projects, including collective farms, compulsory villagization, and urban planning, and advocates for a more nuanced approach that respects local diversity and practical knowledge.
The ascent of man
Jacob Bronowski
This book, originally published in 1973 to accompany the BBC television series, explores human evolution and scientific progress as expressions of humanity's unique capabilities. Bronowski discusses human invention from the flint tool to geometry, agriculture to genetics, and from alchemy to the theory of relativity. He emphasizes the connection between art and science, arguing that both stem from the same human spirit. The book also addresses the ethical implications of scientific advancements and advocates for a 'democracy of the intellect,' urging society to democratize knowledge and make science accessible to all[1][3][4].
The Tyranny of Experts
Economists, Dictators, and the Forgotten Rights of the Poor
William Easterly
For Whom the Bell Tolls
null
John Donne
While the podcast mentions "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in relation to a John Donne sermon, it's important to note that the title is most famously associated with Ernest Hemingway's novel. Hemingway's "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is set during the Spanish Civil War and follows Robert Jordan, an American volunteer fighting alongside the Republicans. The novel explores themes of war, love, and sacrifice against the backdrop of political conflict. Jordan's experiences and relationships highlight the complexities of war and the human cost of ideological battles. The novel's powerful prose and exploration of universal themes have cemented its place as a classic of 20th-century literature.
In Service of the Republic
In Service of the Republic
Vijay Kelkar
Ajay Shah
India and Transition
India and Transition
Jagdish Bhagwati
Essays in persuasion
Essays in persuasion
John Maynard Keynes
He's a polymath who cares deeply about the world, tries to understand it, and straddles many fields. He's played a key role over the last few decades in India's journey towards development. Ajay Shah joins Amit Varma in episode 402 of The Seen and the Unseen to talk about his life and times. (FOR FULL LINKED SHOW NOTES, GO TO SEENUNSEEN.IN.) Also check out: 1. Ajay Shah on Twitter and Substack. 2. Everything is Everything -- Ajay Shah's YouTube show with Amit Varma. 3. Life Lessons -- A course taught by Ajay Shah and Amit Varma. 4. In Service of the Republic: The Art and Science of Economic Policy — Vijay Kelkar and Ajay Shah. 5. XKDR Forum. 6. The LEAP blog. 7. Previous episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Ajay Shah: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. 8. The Surface Area of Serendipity -- Episode 39 of Everything is Everything. 9. The Economic Lives of the Poor -- Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. 10. The Universe of Chuck Gopal — Episode 258 of The Seen and the Unseen. 11. The Hiking Episode -- Episode 35 of Everything is Everything. 12. Declutter -- Episode 30 of Everything is Everything. 13. The Life and Times of Mrinal Pande — Episode 263 of The Seen and the Unseen. 14. Pushpesh Pant Feasts on the Buffet of Life — Episode 326 of The Seen and the Unseen. 15. The Life and Times of Ira Pande -- Episode 369 of The Seen and the Unseen. 16. A Meditation on Form -- Amit Varma. 17. A Passion for Cycling -- Episode 53 of Everything is Everything. 18. Il Lombardia: Tadej Pogačar delivers historical fourth consecutive victory. 19. Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy. 20. Seven Stories That Should Be Films -- Episode 23 of Everything is Everything (including Ajay's retelling, 'The Fat Frogs of Tatsinskaya'). 21. India’s Greatest Civil Servant — Episode 167 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Narayani Basu, on VP Menon). 22. VP Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India — Narayani Basu. 23. Five Epic Stories That Must Be Films -- Episode 29 of Everything is Everything (including Amit's retelling of VP Menon's story). 24. Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945 — Tony Judt. 25. The God That Failed -- Edited by Richard Crossman. 26. One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich -- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. 27. Free to Choose -- Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman. 28. Both Sides Now -- Joni Mitchell. 29. How to Write a Paper -- Episode 62 of Everything is Everything. 30. Jim Corbett on Wikipedia and Amazon. 31. Trek The Sahyadris -- Harish Kapadia. 32. Inflation Targeting Rocks! -- Episode 68 of The Seen and the Unseen. 33. The Heckman Equation. 34. A Deep Dive Into Education -- Episode 54 of Everything is Everything. 35. The Two Cultures -- CP Snow. 36. Shivaji and His Times -- Jadunath Sarkar. 37. Suyash Rai Embraces India’s Complexity — Episode 307 of The Seen and the Unseen. 38. Seeing Like a State — James C Scott. 39. The Tyranny of Experts — William Easterly. 40. Are You Just One Version of Yourself? -- Episode 3 of Everything is Everything. 41. Episodes of The Seen and the Unseen with Ramachandra Guha: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. 42. The Life and Times of KP Krishnan — Episode 355 of The Seen and the Unseen. 43. Our Population Is Our Greatest Asset -- Episode 20 of Everything if Everything. 44. Population Is Not a Problem, but Our Greatest Strength -- Amit Varma. 45. Plato (or Why Philosophy Matters) — Episode 109 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rebecca Goldstein). 46. How to Do Development -- Episode 57 of Everything is Everything. 47. Lant Pritchett Is on Team Prosperity — Episode 379 of The Seen and the Unseen. 48. The Life and Times of Chess -- Episode 52 of Everything is Everything. 49. Fixing the Knowledge Society -- Episode 24 of Everything is Everything. 50. The Importance of the 1991 Reforms — Episode 237 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan and Ajay Shah). 51. The Reformers -- Episode 28 of Everything is Everything. 52. The Beauty of Finance -- Episode 21 of Everything is Everything. 53. What's Wrong With Indian Agriculture? -- Episode 18 of Everything is Everything. 54. The Life and Times of Montek Singh Ahluwalia — Episode 285 of The Seen and the Unseen. 55. The Importance of Finance — Episode 125 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah). 56. India in Transition: Freeing the Economy -- Jagdish Bhagwati. 57. The UNIX Episode -- Episode 32 of Everything is Everything. 58. Don't Mess With the Price System -- Episode 66 of Everything is Everything. 59. Four Papers That Changed the World -- Episode 41 of Everything is Everything. 60. The Ghost and the Darkness -- Stephen Hopkins. 61. India’s Massive Pensions Crisis — Episode 347 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah & Renuka Sane). 62. Understanding India's Pensions Disaster -- Episode 65 of Everything is Everything. 63. What Bruce Springsteen Means to Us -- Episode 13 of Everything is Everything. 64. Distance From Delhi -- The Takshashila Institution. 65. Beyond A Boundary -- CLR James. 66. Letters for a Nation: From Jawaharlal Nehru to His Chief Ministers 1947-1963 -- Jawaharlal Nehru. 67. Yes Minister and Yes Prime Minister — Jonathan Lynn and Antony Jay. 68. The Long Road to Change -- Episode 36 of Everything is Everything. 69. The Tragedy of Our Farm Bills — Episode 211 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ajay Shah). 70. Government's End: Why Washington Stopped Working -- Jonathan Rauch. 71. Understanding deviations from the fiscal responsibility law in India -- Pratik Datta, Radhika Pandey, Ila Patnaik and Ajay Shah. 72. Who Lends to the Indian State? -- Aneesha Chitgupi, Ajay Shah, Manish Singh, Susan Thomas and Harsh Vardhan. 73. The Percy Mistry report. 74. Bare Acts. 75. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State — Episode 333 of The Seen and the Unseen. 76. Shruti Rajagopalan on our constitutional amendments. 77. The First Assault on Our Constitution — Episode 194 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Tripurdaman Singh). 78. Sixteen Stormy Days — Tripurdaman Singh. 79. Caged Tiger: How Too Much Government Is Holding Indians Back — Subhashish Bhadra. 80. Subhashish Bhadra on Our Dysfunctional State — Episode 333 of The Seen and the Unseen. 81. The Matrix -- Lana Wachowski & Lilly Wachowski. 82. How Family Firms Evolve -- Episode 34 of Everything is Everything. 83. From Imperial to Adaptive Firms -- Episode 37 of Everything is Everything. 84. Graduating to Globalisation -- Episode 48 of Everything is Everything. 85. Jeff Bezos on The Lex Fridman Podcast. 86. Born to Run -- Bruce Springsteen. 87. Go to the root cause (2007) -- Ajay Shah. 88. Bhargavi Zaveri-Shah Will Not Wear a Blue Tie to Work — Episode 389 of The Seen and the Unseen. 89. Understanding the State -- Episode 25 of Everything is Everything. 90. Every Act of Government Is an Act of Violence -- Amit Varma. 91. When Should the State Act? -- Episode 26 of Everything is Everything. 92. Public Choice Theory Explains SO MUCH -- Episode 33 of Everything is Everything. 93. Public Choice – A Primer -- Eamonn Butler. 94. The Journey of Indian Finance -- Ajay Shah. 95. Amrita Agarwal Wants to Solve Healthcare -- Episode 393 of The Seen and the Unseen. 96. Fortress and Frontier in American Health Care -- Robert Graboyes. 97. We Love Vaccines! We Love Freedom! -- Episode 27 of Everything is Everything. 98. The Art and Science of Economic Policy — Episode 154 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vijay Kelkar & Ajay Shah). 99. Pranay Kotasthane on Amazon. 100. A blog post is a very long and complex search query to find fascinating people and make them route interesting stuff to your inbox -- Henrik Karlsson. 101. For Whom the Bell Tolls -- Ernest Hemingway. 102. Essays in Persuasion -- John Maynard Keynes. 103. The Ascent Of Man -- Jacob Bronowski. 104. How to Modernise the Working of Courts and Tribunals in India -- Many authors including Ajay Shah. 105. How to Modernise the Working of Courts and Tribunals in India -- Ajay Shah. 106. The lowest hanging fruit on the coconut tree — Akshay Jaitly and Ajay Shah. 107. Climate Change and Our Power Sector — Episode 278 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Akshay Jaitley and Ajay Shah). 108. The Brave New Future of Electricity -- Episode 40 of Everything is Everything. 109. False Alarm: How Climate Change Panic Costs Us Trillions, Hurts the Poor, and Fails to Fix the Planet -- Bjorn Lomborg. 110. Stay Away From Luxury Beliefs -- Episode 46 of Everything is Everything. 111. Nuclear Power Can Save the World -- Joshua S Goldstein, Staffan A Qvist & Steven Pinker. 112. But Clouds Got In My Way -- Ayush Patnaik, Ajay Shah, Anshul Tayal and Susan Thomas. 113. Everybody Lies — Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. 114. The Truth About Ourselves — Amit Varma. 115. Capitalism and Freedom -- Milton Friedman. 116. Against the Grain -- James C Scott. 117. The Beatles, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Bruce Springsteen on Spotify. Amit Varma and Ajay Shah have launched a new course called Life Lessons, which aims to be a launchpad towards learning essential life skills all of you need. For more details, and to sign up, click here. Amit and Ajay also bring out a weekly YouTube show, Everything is Everything. Have you watched it yet? You must! And have you read Amit’s newsletter? Subscribe right away to The India Uncut Newsletter! It’s free! Also check out Amit’s online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Episode art: ‘Dreaming’ by Simahina.