Ep 15: Goodbye and All That
Econ Central
Sad news, folks: this is it for Econ Central. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul explain why they are ending this show at just episode 15 -- and also recommend a whole bunch of books to read as a goodbye gift. Also check out: 1. -- Anthony Horowitz. 2. -- Ken Liu. 3. -- Ken Liu. 4. -- Catherine Ryan Howard. 5. -- Joseph O'Neill. 6. -- Richard Osman. 7. -- Alice Munro. 8. -- Alice Munro. 9. -- Alice Munro. 10. on Amazon. 11. -- Tim Harford. 12. Archives of ....
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Ep 14: The Big Deal About the IPL
Econ Central
The IPL starts this weekend. It is much more than a tamasha. It saved and revitalized cricket. In episode 14 of Econ Central, Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul turn the economic lens towards cricket and cricket strategy. Also check out: 1. (2008) — Amit Varma. 2. — Ludwig Wittgenstein. 3. (2016) — Amit Varma. 4. (2014) -- Amit Varma. 5. (2018) -- Amit Varma. 6. (2017) -- Amit Varma. 7. (2016) -- Amit Varma. 8. (2019) -- Amit Varma. 9. (2019) -- Amit Varma. 10. -- Amit Varma....
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Ep 13: Everyone Has Lost It!
Econ Central
Our media, our society and our politics have all gone nuts. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul examine this drift to the extremes in episode 13 of Econ Central. Also discussed: the real estate dudes fight the bankers, and why football isn't taking off in India. Also check out: 1. -- Amit Varma. 2. -- Episode 8 of Econ Central. 3. . 4. Some tweets about SSR's Covid patent and invention of Fau-G: , , , . 5. -- Episode 6 of Econ Central (about the game theory of Congress rebellion). 6. — Amit Varma. 7. -- Anthony Downs....
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Ep 12: Gegenpressing GDP
Econ Central
Our economy's contracted. And Lionel Messi's looking for someone new to contract with. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul dissect both situations in episode 12 of Econ Central. Also discussed: Amitabh Bachchan's crocodile. Also check out: 1. -- Episode 130 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Rajeswari Sengupta). 2. -- Episode 188 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Arvind Subramanian). 3. -- Episode 153 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 4. — Episode 85 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Shruti Rajagopalan). 5. The Seen/Unseen episodes on GST: , , . ...
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Ep 11: Congress Rebellion Revisited
Econ Central
Game theory explains the complexity of rebelling against the Gandhis -- and theory has now become practice. As fires rage in the house that Congress built, Amit Varma and Vivek revisit the incentives of the players involved. Also discussed: Shaktikanta Das's views on the stock market and why Naseeruddin Shah excused Raj Kumar's hamming. Also check out: 1. — Amit Varma. 2. -- Sunil Prabhu. 3. -- Episode 6 of Econ Central (with an earlier discussion on Congress rebellion). 4. on the incentives of the rebels. 5. -- Vivek Kaul....
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Ep 10: Dhoni and India
Econ Central
Mahendra Singh Dhoni's career is so resonant for most Indians. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul get together in episode 10 of Econ Central to discuss how Dhoni, when he emerged, represented a new India empowered by liberalisation. He was a disruptor from a small town who led Indian cricket into a new age -- but also failed to adapt when cricket changed again. Also check out: 1. -- Episode 186 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Pratap Bhanu Mehta). 2. -- Episode 185 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Karthik Muralidharan). 3. -- Vivek Kaul. 4. Siddhartha...
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Ep 9: Do We Need Billionaires?
Econ Central
In a world full of pain and suffering, some say that it is perverse that billionaires exist. Do we need them? Yes, we do, argue Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul in episode 9 of Econ Central. Listen in for the argument, and the caveat, because hey, there's always a caveat. Also discussed: why the Congress Party's actions are the opposite of their words, and how we should think about economic reform. Also check out: 1. -- Amit Varma. 2. , and the responses by and . 3. . 4. -- Episode 2 of Econ Central, which discusses the Zero-Sum...
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Ep 8: Out-Arnabing Arnab
Econ Central
There is a race to the bottom in Indian media. It is rational. Its reasons are structural. The state and society must share the blame. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul explain why in episode 8 of Econ Central. Also discussed: public sector banks, our love for simple narratives and Raat Akeli Hai. Also check out: 1. -- Honey Trehan. 2. -- The Times Now tweet. 3. -- Episode 27 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Ashok Malik). 4. -- Ashok Malik. 5. on Substack. 6. -- Kevin Kelly. 7. -- Li Jin. 8. — Episode 46 of...
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Ep 7: The Deep State of Real Estate
Econ Central
The Indian real estate market is an unusual beast: there is as much politics in it as economics. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul get together in episode 7 of Econ Central to dissect its innards. Also discussed: why Joe Biden is like Rahul Roy, and MCBC gaalis reflect a toxic mindset and should be abandoned by us. Also check out: 1. -- Episode 30 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Vivek Kaul). 2. -- Vivek Kaul for Newslaundry. 3. -- Vivek Kaul. 4. -- Amit Varma on DeMon. 5. -- Devesh Kapur & Milan Vasihnav. 6. -- Episode 114...
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Ep 6: The Hype Around the Stock Market
Econ Central
Our economy goes down, down, down. Our stock market is hyped up, up, up. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul make sense of this paradox in episode 6 of Econ Central. Also discussed: The economic principles behind good writing, the game theory behind rebellion in the Congress, and how both Amit and Vivek are enemies of Lutyens. Also check out:1. -- Amit Varma (on decision fatigue). 2. -- Amit Varma (on opportunity cost). 3. -- Amit Varma. 4. -- Michael Henderson. 5. -- Vivek Kaul. 6. -- Debashis Basu. 7. -- Mervyn...
info_outlineSad news, folks: this is it for Econ Central. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul explain why they are ending this show at just episode 15 -- and also recommend a whole bunch of books to read as a goodbye gift.
Also check out:
1. Moonflower Murders -- Anthony Horowitz.
2. The Paper Menagerie -- Ken Liu.
3. The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories -- Ken Liu.
4. The Nothing Man -- Catherine Ryan Howard.
5. Netherland -- Joseph O'Neill.
6. The Thursday Murder Club -- Richard Osman.
7. The Bear Came Over the Mountain -- Alice Munro.
8. Runaway -- Alice Munro.
9. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage -- Alice Munro.
10. All Alice Munro's books on Amazon.
11. How to Make the World Add Up -- Tim Harford.
12. Archives of Dear Economist.
13. Dear Undercover Economist -- Tim Harford.
14. Collected Poems -- Mark Strand. (A sample.)
15. The Best of It: New and Selected Poems -- Kay Ryan.
16. The Housekeeper and the Professor -- Yoko Ogawa.
17. The Blank Slate -- Steven Pinker.
18. How Innovation Works -- Matt Ridley.
19. The Innovator's Dilemma -- Clayton M Christensen.
20. The Myth of Basic Science -- Matt Ridley.
21. The Evolution of Everything -- Episode 96 of The Seen and the Unseen (w Matt Ridley).
22. That Which is Seen, and That Which is Not Seen -- Frédéric Bastiat.
23. The Law -- Frédéric Bastiat.
24. The Deficit Myth -- Stephanie Kelton.
25. Rathin Roy's sarcy tweet.
26. That Will Be England Gone -- Michael Henderson.
27. Essays -- George Orwell.
28. Politics and the English Language -- George Orwell.
Amit and Vivek will continue to do whatever else they are doing. You can keep listening to Amit's podcast, The Seen and the Unseen, and reading The India Uncut Newsletter. Do also check out his online course, The Art of Clear Writing. Vivek writes regularly at vivekkaul.com. Do browse all his books on Amazon or elsewhere.