The Point Blank Show
The Point Blank Show is a podcast that features conversations with individuals who have significant insights and achievements. Guests include entrepreneurs, artists, business leaders, writers, and sports personalities. Each episode aims to uncover deep insights and provoke thought on non-obvious topics. The show is hosted by Aditya and Abhishek.
Episodes
Jennifer Shahade on how to think like a chess champion
How do elite chess players think? How many moves ahead do they plan? Jennifer Shahade should know. A Woman Grandmaster, two-time US Women's Chess Champion, a professional poker player and author of several books, Jennifer draws on decades of experience in her latest book, "Thinking Sideways: How to Think like a Chess Player and Win at Life". In this podcast she talks about decision-making, creativ
Johan Norberg on why civilisations rise, flourish and fall
Johan Norberg's latest book, Peak Human: What We Can Learn from the Rise and Fall of Golden Ages, is a sweeping account of seven civilizations that flourished through openness, curiosity, trade and innovation. Drawing on examples from Athens, Rome, the Abbasid Caliphate and the Dutch Republic, Johan explores what creates a golden age and what causes its decline. He discusses the ideas of Socr
Jonathan Wilson on football, FIFA and 100 years of World Cup history
Why does the World Cup captivate billions of people every four years? How did a football tournament become a stage for politics, national identity, soft power and some of the greatest stories in sport?Acclaimed football writer and journalist Jonathan Wilson talks about his book, "The Power and the Glory: A New History of the World Cup". He covers the remarkable history of the tournament while expl
Dr Masud Husain on what the brain reveals about us
The human brain has fascinated and confounded us for centuries. Few dedicate their lives to studying and understanding its inner workings. Fewer still can make those complexities accessible to the ordinary reader. Dr. Masud Husain, a neurologist who teaches neurology and cognitive neuroscience at the university of Oxford, has done exactly that.His book, "Our Brains, Our Selves" is a fascinating ac
Tim Wigmore: The history of Test cricket
Tim Wigmore's "Test Cricket: A History" is a definitive account of the game's longest and the most demanding format. In this podcast Tim covers a lot of ground, talking about the greats like Ranjitsinhji, Bradman, Sachin, Lara and Pataudi. Who are the best all rounders of the game? What makes a good captain? What is the history of The Ashes? What is it like to face an orb being hurled at 150k
Samanth Subramanian on the undersea cables that run the world
How do undersea cables work and what is their significance in our daily lives? Samanth Subramanian, an award-winning journalist tells us about "fragile cables that connect our world" in his brilliant new book, "The Web Beneath the Waves". They operate behind the scenes and on the sea bed. Over 600 of them carry around 95% of the world's intercontinental traffic. Unlike satellites which get a lot o
Adam Weymouth: What wolves tell us about Europe
In this podcast Adam Weymouth, one of the most compelling young writers in the UK, talks about his latest book, "Lone Wolf: Walking the Faultlines of Europe". It's an immersive reportage that follows the journey of a wolf across Europe. Through encounters with farmers, hunters and rural communities, Adam examines how wolves have become a proxy for deeper anxieties about migration, economic decline
Philip Coggan on trade wars, globalisation and economic Common Sense
Cricket, globalisation, Trump's tariff tantrums, quirks of the English language, jargons and philosophy. This podcast covers some ground as award winning journalist Philip Coggan joins us to talk about his book, "The Economic Consequences of Mr Trump". He explains why tariffs are essentially taxes on imports that often raise costs for domestic producers, fail to meaningfully reduce trade deficits
Kieran Mulvaney on the battle for power at the top of the world
How does it feel to stay in a cabin in Alaska? How does one keep their wits about oneself in places like the Arctic when the sun doesn't rise for 65-70 days during polar nights? And before you know it, daylight is back for 24 hours. Kieran Mulvaney has traveled to these lands for over 25 years. His latest book, "Arctic Passages: Ice, Exploration, and the Battle for Power at the Top of the World" i
Sir John Kay: Why Almost Everything We Are Told About Business Is Wrong
In this podcast Sir John Kay, one of the most original economic thinkers of our time, talks about what companies often get wrong. Drawing from his latest book, The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (Almost) Everything We Are Told About Business Is Wrong, Sir John argues that chasing money instead of meaning is the first folly of modern corporations. Often times they focus far more than
Edward Fishman on sanctions, chokepoints and the art of economic pressure
Turning jargons and complex spaghetti-like subjects into simple language is an art that few authors can pull off. Edward Fishman is one of them. His book, "Chokepoints: American Power in the Age of Economic Warfare", a New York Times Bestseller, explains something that we often read in the newspapers but rarely understand.For instance, we read that Iran has been "sanctioned" because it hasn't stop
Jason Burke on the extremists who hijacked the 1970s
Jason Burke has spent decades reporting from conflict zones around the world. In this episode he speaks about his latest book, "The Revolutionists: The Story of the Extremists Who Hijacked the 1970s".Jason explains how Palestinian factions turned aircraft hijacking into a coordinated political strategy, who the key figures were and how these operations were planned and carried out. He also describ
Danny Bate: Stories behind the English letters we use every day
Danny Bate joins us to talk about the history of the English alphabet, letter by letter. From the ancient Egyptian origins of A to the comeback of K, Danny talks about how writing systems travelled across civilisations and shaped modern English. We discuss silent letters, spelling quirks, phonics, Scrabble and standup comedy. Drawing on his work as a linguist, Bate explains how sound, history, and
Marc Dunkelman on Why Nothing Works
Marc J. Dunkelman is a political scientist and author of Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress and How to Bring It Back. Drawing on examples from infrastructure, public policy and everyday bureaucracy, Marc explains why institutions that once delivered big projects now struggle to get even simple things done. He brings to fore the cultural shifts since the 1970s, America’s “vitocracy” and why goo
Patrick McGee on Apple in China
Patrick McGee, the Financial Times’ San Francisco correspondent, covers Apple and the U.S. technology industry. His book, Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company is a brilliant read. In this podcast he explains how Apple became deeply tied to China’s factories, workers and politics and why that relationship still defines the company today. He also discusses the roles of Steve J
Stephen Witt on the cult of Nvidia and its charismatic founder, Jensen Huang
Few people have had more access to Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s charismatic founder, than Stephen Witt. In his book The Thinking Machine: Jensen Huang, Nvidia, and the World’s Most Coveted Microchip, Witt traces the company’s three-decade journey under the leadership of a man he describes as sometimes “neurotic”, a founder who, despite being at the top of his game, constantly fears going out of business
Richard Overy on why humans go to war
Why do humans go to war? Is peace ever truly possible? In this podcast historian of the Second World War and expert on totalitarian regimes and military conflict joins us to talk about his latest book, "Why War?". Drawing on decades of research, Prof Overy talks about organized violence from prehistoric times to modern state conflicts. He explains how war has evolved and what drives it and how lea
Charlie English on the CIA's quietest operation
Charlie English is the author of "The CIA Book Club: The Best Kept Secret of the Cold War". In this episode he talks about a little-known chapter in Cold War history where the CIA smuggled banned books into the Eastern Bloc in an effort to challenge communist ideology. Charlie shares how the CIA ran this literary operation for over three decades, why even detective novels had political weight in S
Carl Zimmer breaks down what’s really in the air
Carl Zimmer, acclaimed science writer and author of "Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe", joins the show to explore the unseen world within the air around us. He talks about what most of us never think about: the air we breathe. He explains how scientists slowly uncovered the truth about airborne diseases, why it took decades for basic facts to gain acceptance, and what history, b
Beyond Silicon Valley: Ludwig Siegele on China’s quiet AI revolution
Ludwig Siegele, senior editor AI Initiatives at The Economist talks about how Chinese AI companies like DeepSeek and Alibaba are disrupting the status quo. They are building high-performing models at lower costs and releasing some of them as open source. How did they manage to pull this off and what does this mean for the global AI race? Ludwig joined The Economist as a US technology correspondent
Mike Brearley: On cricket, captaincy, character and the mind
In this episode, legendary cricketer and former England captain, Mike Brearley talks about his rich childhood memories, early influences, the art of leadership and the life of a cricketer. With wisdom, humor and trademark humility, Mike reflects on Test cricket's timeless charm, the spirit of the game, his experience as a psychoanalyst and life lessons from his latest book "Turning Over the Pebble
Clive Oppenheimer on volcanoes and a life at the crater's edge
Volcanologist, author and filmmaker Clive Oppenheimer's career has taken him to the edge. From dodging lava bombs at Stromboli to facing AK-47s in the Danakil Depression, Clive shares gripping stories from his fieldwork and the unexpected human side of volcanoes. We explore his acclaimed book, "Mountains of Fire: The Secret Lives of Volcanoes" and discover how volcanic eruptions can alter climate,
Charles Piller on the broken science behind Alzheimer’s research
Investigative journalist Charles Piller unravels one of the biggest scientific scandals in recent history. Drawing from his book "Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance, and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's", Charles reveals how falsified data propped up a dominant theory in Alzheimer’s research, diverting billions in funding and delaying real progress. With over 30 million people affected worldwide,
John Dykes unplugged: mastering the art of storytelling and performance
John Dykes has worn many hats: from features writer to one of the world’s most sought-after sports presenters. In this podcast, he shares insights and anecdotes from his three-decade career, helping individuals and organisations to master storytelling, craft compelling pitches, create high-performance teams and manage crises in his new innings as a solopreneur. Reflecting on iconic moments, from c
Simon Parkin on the siege of Leningrad and the scientists who refused to give in
In this episode, Simon Parkin unravels an extraordinary tale of courage and sacrifice during World War II. His latest book, The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad: A True Story of Science and Sacrifice in a City Under Siege, chronicles the heroic botanists who risked, and in some cases, gave their lives to safeguard a priceless seed collection during the longest blockade in recorded history. They chose
Tits Up! Sarah Thornton on Breasts: their history, power, and perception
Sarah Thornton is a sociologist known for her writing on art, design, and society. Sarah’s latest book, Tits Up: What Our Beliefs About Breasts Reveal About Life, Love, Sex, and Society, is a fascinating account of the cultural, social and personal significance of breasts, an organ we think we understand but actually know surprisingly little about. In this podcast Sarah takes us on a fascinat
Inside the human mind with Guy Leschziner
Why do we behave the way we do? What’s going on in our brains when we take certain decisions? How hard-wired are we and what are the odds that we can change our core behaviour for the better? In this podcast neurologist Dr Guy Leschziner tries to answer some of these questions. His latest book, “Seven Deadly Sins: The Biology of Being Human” explores the complex interplay between our brain, biolog
Marcel Dirsus on how tyrants fall
Ever wondered how a dictator survives for decades? If you think he does so without a care in the world, as I did, you are in for a surprise. Tyrants are probably amongst the most paranoid people in the world. Their single-minded determination to stay in power makes them do crazy things. They need to manage those who are close to them, bodyguards and palace elites included. Citizens can go to hell.
Sunitha Krishnan on her memoir, “I am what I am”
Sunitha Krishnan has dedicated her life to rescuing and rehabilitating victims of human trafficking. Since 1996, her outfit, Prajwala, Asia’s largest institution combating sex trafficking and sex crime, has made a difference to the lives of over 30,100 survivors. Sunitha’s book, ‘I am what I am’ is an outstanding account of her life. In this podcast she talks about moments that shaped her mission,
Julie Sedivy on how languages shape us
In this podcast, Julie Sedivy’s passion for language shines through. As a linguist and polyglot, she delves into the science behind how we communicate. More crucially, she advises us not to be too hung up when people take liberties with grammar. Language, much like any other living organism, evolves over time. Julie’s most recent book, “Linguaphile: A Life of Language Love” is a beautiful read and
Arik Kershenbaum on why animals talk
Do animals speak and if so why do they do so? What do they say? From the evolutionary standpoint what exactly is happening there? Dr Arik Kershenbaum is a zoologist who teaches at the University of Cambridge. His most recent book, “Why Animals Talk: The New Science of Animal Communication” addresses these questions. In this podcast Dr Arik talks about his experience of studying animal sounds in th
Tabitha Stanmore on magic and witchcraft
Dr Tabitha Stanmore is a historian and an expert in medieval and early modern English magic and witchcraft. Her book, “Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic” busts myths on the subject and focuses on the cultural impact of cunning folk, who would use magic to help people find items such as a spoon or help fix their love lives.Picture credit: https://www.tabithastanmore.co.uk/Get Tabitha
Sam Leith on childhood reading
Children’s world is by default a trippy one and books are rich fodder for the uninhibited mind. In “The Haunted Wood: A History of Childhood Reading”, Sam Leith, the literary editor of The Spectator takes us through the memory lane of authors who have defined the genre of children's books. The nature of childhood itself has changed over centuries and the books, too, were a reflection of those eras
Alison Taylor on doing the right thing
Alison Taylor is a clinical professor at NYU Stern School of Business. Her book, “Higher Ground: How Business Can Do the Right Thing in a Turbulent World” is a result of decades of research and experience where she has consulted many multinational companies. She argues that maximising shareholder value can no longer be the sole purpose of an organisation’s existence. The new generation employed at
Rooted in History: Unearthing the Stories of Twelve Trees with Daniel Lewis
There are around 3trn trees on Earth, 400 for every living person. And yet arguably the arboreal world is not talked about in as much detail as the animal kingdom. Dr Daniel Lewis, a historian at the Huntington Library takes a crack at the subject. His latest book, “Twelve Trees: And What They Tell Us About Our Past, Present and Future” chronicles stories of twelve trees and their history dating b
Sir David Spiegelhalter on the art of uncertainty
How did Barack Obama, former American president know for sure whether Osama Bin Laden was in that compound in Abbottabad? Are football matches largely determined by luck? How can you measure coincidences? Sir David Spiegelhalter, the emeritus professor of statistics at the University of Cambridge explains it all. His new book, “The Art of Uncertainty: How to Navigate Chance, Ignorance, Risk and Lu
Rollo Romig on Gauri Lankesh and the fight for free speech in India
Rollo Romig talks about his book "I'm on the Hit List: A Journalist's Murder and the Rise of Autocracy in India". It releases in India today, January 6th 2025. The book focuses on the life and murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh and its impact on journalism and free speech in India. Whereas Gauri spoke her mind she also lived up to the maxim, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to
Charles Dallara on EuroShock: the tough negotiations that shaped Greece’s future
Charles Dallara is the author of "EuroShock: How the Largest Debt Restructuring in History Helped Save Greece and Preserve the Eurozone". The former managing director of the Institute of International Finance, a think tank, reflects on the largest debt restructuring in history and its role in saving Greece and preserving the Eurozone. Charles shares his experiences as a US Navy midshipman, lessons
Timothy C. Winegard on how horses shaped human civilisation
Human history is also the history of the horse, says Dr Timothy C. Winegard in his superb book, “The Horse: A Galloping History of Humanity”. He charts the story of the four-legged human companion like no one has before. Horses have had an outsized cultural and practical contribution, including their influence on language, clothing and transportation. From the evolution of horses 60 million years
Ben Yagoda on the British invasion of American English
Ben Yagoda is the emeritus professor of English at the University of Delaware. Relying on his rich experience of having lived both in the US and the UK, Ben's new book, "Gobsmacked! The British Invasion of American English" talks about how language can travel across the two countries. Many words and phrases that originated in the UK have made themselves more at home in America. What is their histo
Truth and lies with Alex Edmans
In his book “May Contain Lies: How stories, statistics and studies exploit our biases - and what we can do about it”, Dr Alex Edmans urges us to pause and reflect before we trust any article or a “fact” stated in a book or in a newspaper. It doesn’t matter who wrote it. And it isn’t such a tedious process to work it out. In this podcast Alex shares his views on confirmation bias, what is wron
Dr Duvvuri Subbarao, former RBI governor on his life and career
In “Just a Mercenary? Notes from My Life and Career”, Dr Subbarao describes his eventful journey as a kid from Sainik School in Korukonda, some 50 km from Visakhapatnam to becoming the 22nd governor of the Reserve Bank of India. Armed with awareness, discipline, commitment and a quirky sense of humour, Dr Subbarao worked relentlessly within and outside the country across various posting
Gray Matters: Exploring the Brain with Dr. Theodore Schwartz
The human brain is a marvel of mysteries, holding answers that we are still uncovering. Dr Theodore Schwartz's book “Gray Matters: A Biography of Brain Surgery” is filled with anecdotes to help us relate to the organ that sits silently in a dark cell inside our skull. Dr Schwartz has performed over 10,000 operations working in an area as small as a one rupee coin. He reflects on the meditative sta
Lawrence Booth on Bazball
Bazball is a term that describes England cricket team’s aggressive brand of Test cricket championed by Brendon “Baz” McCullum. Lawrence Booth who writes for the Daily Mail has co-authored a brilliant account of this new phenomenon in “Bazball: The Inside Story of a Test Cricket Revolution” with Nick Hoult. In this podcast Lawrence clarifies that Bazball is not mindless slogging or fast scorin
Paul Seabright on religion, wealth and economics
What is religion? How is it intertwined with economics? Why do people who are below the poverty line feel the need to contribute some portion of their meagre income to temples or churches? What is in it for them? How big is the industry? Paul Seabright, a British economist and professor at the University of Toulouse in France, joins us to talk about his book “The Divine Economy: How religions comp
Marcia Bjornerud on how rocks share secrets of our planet’s past
In “Turning to Stone: Discovering The subtle wisdom of rocks”, Dr Marcia Bjornerud brings us the fascinating story of how rocks and stones “speak” to us if we’re willing to listen. Rocks are alert, responsive and communicative, writes Dr Bjornerud. They tell us about our own past and how the Earth has evolved over centuries and millenia. What can a single crystal tell us about ancient tectonic shi
Andrew Leigh on economics and why it matters
In this podcast Andrew Leigh talks about economics to someone unfamiliar with the subject, all drawn from his book, "How Economics Explains the World: A Short History of Humanity".Andrew touches upon the impact of the industrial revolution, the balance between Keynesian and Hayekian ideas, why interest rates are important, where the gender gap came from and much much more. He also covers how techn
The future of our oceans with Helen Scales
What mysteries do the world underwater hold for us? Dr Helen Scales, a marine biologist, has dedicated her life to find out. Her most recent book “What the Wild Sea Can Be: The Future of the World's Ocean” is an ode to life underwater and what we can do to preserve it. Dive in to listen to Helen talk about what got her interested in the subject, why sea creatures are smarter than we think and
Jean-Martin Bauer on world hunger and what we can do about it
Jean-Martin Bauer is the author of "The New Breadline: Hunger and Hope in the 21st Century". It’s a brilliant account of why hunger is ravaging the world and what we can do about it. In this podcast Jean-Martin talks about his career at the World Food Programme, starting from his first field experience right out of college to confronting heartbreaking stories like a mother in Mauritania cooki
Nicola Twilley on how refrigeration has changed the world
Among the many things that we take for granted in the age of indulgence is refrigeration. In “Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves”, Nicola Twilley brings us the history of what is arguably among the top three inventions of the century. She went far down many rabbit holes including orange juice tank farms, meat lockers, banana ripening rooms and frigid warehouse
Untold stories of unsung Maths legends with Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell
What are the human stories behind mathematics? How did mathematicians collaborate over centuries to further its cause? “The Secret Lives of Numbers: A Global History of Mathematics & its Unsung Trailblazers” co-authored by Kate Kitagawa and Timothy Revell tells us just that. Kate and Tim dig into rabbit holes from across eras to unearth fascinating stories of geniuses from ancient civilisations wh
Nobel Laureate Thomas R. Cech on why Ribonucleic Acid rocks
Dr Thomas R. Cech shared the nobel prize in chemistry with Sidney Altman in 1989. Their work showed that RNA is not only a molecule that carries genetic information but can also act as a catalyst in biochemical reactions, a role that was previously thought to be exclusive to proteins. His book titled “The Catalyst: RNA and the Quest to Unlock Life's Deepest Secrets”, released in June, is a brillia
Carl Öhman on what happens to our data after we die
In his short and punchy book, "The Afterlife of Data", Carl Öhman writes about "What Happens to Your Information When You Die and Why You Should Care". After crunching lots of numbers, he found that in the next few decades the dead on Facebook will outnumber the living. The power around what to do with "digital remains" lies with a handful firms like Meta and Alphabet. Dr Öhman opines that we can'
Geoff White on digital transformation of money laundering
Geoff White is an investigative journalist who has covered financial crime for over two decades. His latest book is titled "Rinsed - From Cartels to Crypto: How the Tech Industry Washes Money for the World's Deadliest Crooks". In this podcast Geoff talks about money laundering 101 and how it has changed over the years. How has technology and social media influenced the industry? What are regulator
Dr Erica Thompson on how mathematical models can lead us astray and what we can do about it
We live in a world that is increasingly being dictated by data. But the models that govern different outcomes need a lot of work. Dr Erica Thompson's fascinating book, "Escape from Model Land: How mathematical models can lead us astray and what we can do about it" is all about it. For all their vaunted prowess, models can often mislead. In this podcast Dr Thompson offers her thoughts on the head s
Tamal Bandyopadhyay's roller coaster affair with banking
Tamal Bandyopadhyay is a prolific journalist who has covered the world of finance for many decades. He has authored several books. In this podcast he gives us a glimpse into his latest book, "Roller Coaster: An Affair with Banking" which is an absolute joy to read. The book as well as this conversation is peppered with anecdotes that are both amusing and intriguing in equal measure. It’s less abou
Kelly Clancy on her book, “Playing with Reality: How Games Have Shaped Our World”
Games have shaped humanity for thousands of years. The premise of Kelly Clancy's book is that games play us. In this podcast Dr Clancy, a neuroscientist talks about games people or companies play to our benefit and detriment. How have games shaped geopolitics? Why do gamblers continue to bet despite losing? How does uncertainty trigger dopamine even while playing board games with kids? And much mu
Cognitive neuroscientist Maryanne Wolf on what reading does to the brain
Maryanne Wolf is a cognitive neuroscientist who conducts research on “what the brain does when it reads and why some children and adults have greater difficulty learning how to read than others”. She has written some fascinating books including “Proust and the Squid: The Story and Science of the Reading Brain” and “Reader come home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World”. In this podcast Prof Wolf
Gregory Zuckerman on his book "The Man Who solved the market: How Jim Simons Launched The Quant Revolution"
Gregory Zukerman writes for the Wall Street Journal. Over the last few decades he has written several books. In 2019 he wrote "The Man Who solved the market: How Jim Simons Launched The Quant Revolution" which became a runaway hit. It tells the story of a genius mathematician who used modern quantitative techniques to make money for himself and his investors. Since 1988 one of the fund’s operated
Alex Duff on his book, "Smart Money: The Fall and Rise of Brentford FC"
Alex Duff talks about how Brentford football club used data and analytics to improve and retain its spot in the English Premier League. His book, "Smart Money: The Fall and Rise of Brentford" is a fascinating account of how the club instilled new values and respected number crunching to make key decisions on deciding plays on the field and in the transfer market. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri
Ananyo Bhattacharya on his book The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John Von Neumann
Ananyo Bhattacharya's "The Man from the Future: The Visionary Life of John Von Neumann" is a fascinating book about the Hungarian-American mathematician. It's a shame that most of us know little about the man. Dr Bhattacharya digs deep into the mathematician's early days and how he went on to have a lasting impact in different fields including nanotechnology, game theory, artificial intelligence a
Dennis Yi Tenen on his book Literary Theory of Robots: How Computers Learned to Write
In this podcast Prof Dennis Yi Tenen, a software engineer turned literary scholar, leans on history of computer programming to tell modern tales of Artificial Intelligence. How did robots learn to write so quickly? Is it a good thing? Do technologies like ChatGPT make us lazy? Not quite, says Prof Tenen. He argues that such advances do not diminish our capacity to think. It may just make us better
Tom Wainwright on Facebook turning 20
In February this year Facebook celebrated its 20th birthday. Tom Wainwright, tech and media editor of The Economist has written a brilliant cover story on the company's evolution since it began in a dorm room at Harvard. With a market capitalisation of $1.2trn and 3bn users, Facebook operates in a new social media order. Tom writes that "public posting is increasingly migrating to closed groups, r
David Bodanis on his book, “The Art of Fairness:The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean”
Do nice guys finish last? Not quite. David Bodani’s brilliant book, “The Art of Fairness:The Power of Decency in a World Turned Mean” is filled with anecdotes of leaders from various fields who may have been fair and firm to get the job done but never mean or condescending. In this podcast David shares some of his thoughts on why it might be worth emulating the Satya Nadellas of the world instead
Zeke Faux on his book, “Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall”
The cryptosphere is, well, cryptic. Even the best of the best find it hard to explain the whole thing without fumbling. Zeke Faux has managed to put it all together in his fascinating book, "Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall". Zeke planted himself within the crypto-mad community to learn more about the trade. He has interviewed Sam Bankman-Fried, among others, to understa
Kenneth Miller on his book, “Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep”
We spend almost a third of our lives sleeping. Give or take. And yet until fifty years ago, scientists didn’t know much about sleep. Kenneth Miller shines a spotlight on the subject in his fabulous book, Mapping the Darkness: The Visionary Scientists Who Unlocked the Mysteries of Sleep. Why do we sleep and why is it important that we get enough of it? What happens when we don’t? Who are those scie
Daniel Knowles on his book, “How Cars Make Life Worse and What to Do About It”
In this podcast, Daniel Knowles reflects upon a world with fewer cars. The use of a car becomes less effective once everyone has got one. Anyone who has been stuck for hours in Mumbai or New York traffic should know. Are electric cars a solution? What can we learn from places like Singapore, Tokyo, Amsterdam and London? It is reassuring that most of these cities made amends over the course of many
Kiran Verma, on a 21,000 km walk to raise awareness on blood donation
Kiran Verma has pledged to walk a staggering 21,000 km across India to raise awareness around blood donation in the country. His NGO, Simply Blood, world's first virtual blood donation platform, connects donors and seekers in real time. In this podcast Kiran talks about what got him to quit his day job and pursue his cause. "Nobody should die waiting for blood", he says. Many believed him to be cr
Dr Anna Lembke on her book, "Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence"
Dr Anna Lembke is a psychiatrist and the chief of the Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. She has treated patients with addiction of all kinds including alcoholism and drug use. And behavioural ones such as smartphone and the internet. Her book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the age of Indulgence is a brilliant read. It brings to life real stori
Gavin Jackson on his book, "Money In One Lesson"
You don't need to be an economics buff to enjoy Gavin Jackson's "Money In One Lesson". The fascinating book breaks down money and charts its history in a user-friendly manner. In this podcast Gavin talks about stuff like this: What's common between most of the monetary system, including banks, and the hawala system? How has it inspired entrepreneurs to enable peer-to-peer lending? How cryptocurre
Ludwig Siegele, The Economist's top tech guru on ChatGPT
Ludwig Siegele, considered among the top tech gurus at The Economist, has covered the global tech industry since 1995. He sees the same excitement and chatter around ChatGPT in the Silicon valley as there was when the internet was born. In this podcast, Ludwig shares his views on the new sensation, which can do itself some good if it can slow itself down a bit. Also, is the future in a hybrid open
Annie Lowrey on her book, "Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World"
Annie Lowrey's "Give People Money: How a Universal Basic Income Would End Poverty, Revolutionize Work, and Remake the World" is a richly reported book which brings to light some personal and often harrowing accounts of folks who could benefit instantly through cash transfers. Annie travelled to the boondocks in India and villages in Kenya where it was considered too rude to eat in the open, given
Philip Coggan on his book, "Surviving the Daily Grind: Bartleby's Guide to Work"
Philip Coggan's "Surviving the Daily Grind: Bartleby's Guide to Work" is an amusing account on corporate world's oddities. For instance, "Why so many managers pollute their utterances with so much inane jargon?" If we had a rupee for each time someone uses the word, "holistic" or recommends others to step outside their "comfort zone", we would all be rich. In this podcast, Philip talks about the m
Tom Standage on his book, "A Brief History of Motion"
Tom Standage has authored seven history books. His most recent one charts the history of the wheel to self-driving cars and everything in between. Whereas the wheel remains among the most important inventions of mankind, it took thousands of years before we found mass applications for it. In this podcast Tom motors along different eras while describing the invention's bumpy ride and how it has sha
Point Blank with RB Ramesh, India's chess grandmaster-turned-coach
RB Ramesh started coaching when he was just 22 years old. His training institute "Chess Gurukul" has spawned champions who have brought over 100 medals for India in various competitions. Just last year his student, Praggnanandhaa or Pragg became the youngest player to defeat Magnus Carlsen, a giant of the game. In this podcast RB Ramesh talks about his experience of teaching folks from across diff
A conversation with Edward Carr, Foreign editor of The Economist on US foreign policy
Edward Carr, Foreign editor of The Economist takes us through his brilliant special report on US foreign policy. He argues that inspite of a dreadful decade abroad, Americans are unduly pessimistic about their place in the world. The rise of China as a formidable player in world affairs is undisputed, but its economic heft does not yet qualify it to be a geopolitical influence that America wields.
Jon Fasman of The Economist on his experience of covering the US presidential elections
In this podcast, Jon Fasman of The Economist talks about his on ground experience of covering the US presidential elections. Over the past few months Jon travelled across the country, attended rallies, conducted interviews, met strangers, filed articles, wrote online, did live blogging, recorded podcasts and met crazy deadlines. To report the greatest political event on the planet, a little bit of
A Conversation with Paul Markillie of The Economist on Digital Manufacturing
Paul Markillie, the Innovation Editor at The Economist joins us to talk about the magical world of digital manufacturing, the subject of his special report which was published earlier this year. In this 20 minute chat Paul shares his experiences which took him to some interesting places across the world. This third revolution has already taken off. For instance, in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics, 23
A Conversation with Simon Wright of The Economist on Natural Gas
The Economists deputy news editor, Simon Wright is so good at dismembering jargons that you might even start to care about knowing a little something about natural gas, the subject of his special report that was published this month. In this podcast, Simon gives us a crash course in Shale gas and explains why is it a big deal that America has started to mine more of it in the last few years. He re
A Conversation with Jon Fasman of The Economist on American Economy, Drugs and Journalism
Jon Fasman knows what it takes to be a New York Times best selling author. His book, Geographer's Library published in 2005 has been released into more than a dozen languages and his more recent novel, The Unpossessed City is a major hit. At The Economist, he covers a diverse range of subjects like food, music, chopsticks, politics, Tiger Woods, Dominique Strauss Kahn, global warming and a lot mor
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