Gulliver’s Travels, published in 1726, is a modern masterpiece. Its themes resonate as much today as they did then, its satire is as relevant — and it’s bloody entertaining!

Welcome to episode 13 of Watching the Wheels, hosted by Amit Varma, Shruti Rajagopalan and Pranay Kotasthane.

In this episode, Shruti shares her love for Jonathan Swift’s great book, which is such a perfect novel for these times. The chart of the week explores sporting success, and The Infinite Game reveals human failure. Much fun!

TABLE OF CONTENTS00:00 Hype the Episode!00:30 Intro00:65 Main Course04:44 About Gulliver’s Travels22:56 Odyssey and Hitchhiker’s Guide26:44 Publishing History & Editions30:26 Books as Comfort Food35:47 A Modern Book45:56 Chart of the Week1:06:07 TIL (Trivia I Love)1:17:33 The Infinite Game1:31:27 Recommendations

For full show notes, please click here!

Who doesn’t love quotes? Everyone loves quotes! Quotes are the best!

Welcome to episode 12 of Watching the Wheels, hosted by Amit Varma, Shruti Rajagopalan and Pranay Kotasthane.

In this episode, Amit, Shruti & Pranay share 20 quotes they turn to again and again — on mobility, human nature, reading, excellence & humour. You will find Ambedkar & Rawls on caste and fairness, Pinker & EO Wilson on human nature, Schelling on models, Schopenhauer on reading, and Finding Dory. There’s a Swades couplet, two lines from Newton, & poems in Tamil & Urdu. In the Infinite Game, we will witness the follies of male self-confidence — and the recommendations at the end will keep you awake at night in a good way!

TABLE OF CONTENTS00:00 Hype the Episode!00:21 Intro: That’s What She Said01:54 Main Course02:29 Haves, Have-Nots and Want-To-Haves05:41 Caste as a Division of Laborers11:11 Nature, Nurture & the Middle Stage14:14 Pinker, Axelrod & the Blank Slate23:45 Models, Mentors & Being Interesting33:04 Plans, Progress & Public Life47:09 The Art of Not Reading51:48 Favourite Films & Hindi Movie Lines1:02:07 Excellence, Pratchett & Brecht1:07:58 Poems in Tamil & Urdu1:12:28 The Infinite Game1:27:14 Recommendations

For the greatest show notes in YouTube history, click here!

There are so many people! There are so few things! Are we going to run out? Is the earth going to hell? How on earth (pun intended) can markets help?

People are brains, not stomachs. No, we’re not running out of things. Yes, markets can solve these problems.

Welcome to episode 11 of Watching the Wheels, hosted by Amit Varma, Shruti Rajagopalan & Pranay Kotasthane.

In this episode, Amit busts the myths around too many people & too few things. Shruti steelmans the environmental position before elaborating on how markets & voluntary action can be a force for good. The Infinite Game this week will delight lovers of Indian cities, which is all of us, right? Right?

TABLE OF CONTENTS00:00 Hype the Episode!00:22 Intro00:39 Main Course 13:52 Are We Running Out of Things?34:15 Markets & the Environment1:45:03 The Infinite Game2:10:00 Recos

For full show notes with many fantastic resources, click here!