Showing results by author "Amit Varma" in All Categories

Published in 1792, The Vindication of the Rights of Woman by Mary Wollstonecraft is not just a pioneering work of feminism, but also a step forward for political philosophy in general. Amit Varma explains how it drove liberalism forward with its argument, radical at the time, that human rights extended to all humans, and not just to men.

Public discourse has become toxic, and there is no better illustration of this than snark. We don't talk to people any more, we mock. We don't engage any more, we ridicule. In episode 7 of The Book Club, Amit Varma speaks about 'Snark', David Denby's prescient book about the degeneration of our conversations.

What is the purpose of the law? What should be the role of the state? Are we subjects or citizens? In episode 6 of The Book Club, Amit Varma argues that we have normalised oppression by the state, and we need to examine it anew with clear eyes. There is no better guide to this than Frédéric Bastiat's 19th-century masterpiece, 'The Law.'

Humans are the only species who can reprogram themselves. This is astounding. In episode 8 of The Book Club, Amit Varma recommends you read 'Hacking Darwin' by Jamie Metzl, a lucid summation of the technological implications of genetic science – and the ethical questions they raise...

Politics in India is deeply complex, and nowhere is this as apparent as in Maharashtra, where centuries-old fault lines of caste, region and ideology collide. In episode 5 of The Book Club, Amit Varma raves about Sujata Anandan's 'Maharashtra Maximus', the perfect guide to this complex subject.

Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein' was published when she was 20 years old, but it is more than just a precocious book of early science fiction. In Episode 3 of The Book Club, Amit Varma explains how Shelley fearlessly tackled big themes, and delved as deep into human nature as the best literature of the time. Her book gave birth to many tropes that still exist – and showed an ambition that has since characterised the best writing in a genre she helped create.

In episode 13 of The Book Club, Amit Varma talks about Vivek Shanbhag's masterpiece Ghachar Ghochar, a moving portrait of the innards of an Indian family.

What does Shaheen Bagh have in common with Tahrir Square in Egypt and Gezi Park in Istanbul? A lot! In episode 12 of The Book Club, Amit Varma discusses 'Twitter and Tear Gas' by Zeynep Tufekci, which looks at the similarity in citizen protests across the world over the last decade.

India may seem sexually repressed and prudish–but in the past, we just been just the opposite. In episode 10 of The Book Club, Amit Varma discusses 'Infinite Variety', Madhavi Menon's eye-opening history of desire in India.

Never throw good money after bad. And don't be imprisoned to the past. Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul begin with a story from Vietnam and end with a musing on bad relationships, explaining the factor common to both: THE SUNK COST FALLACY. Every single day, we encounter this fallacy in our lives...

Why do restaurants often list their more expensive items first? Why are sales such an attractive proposition? Amit Varma and Vivek Kaul explain the ANCHORING EFFECT. Understanding this is key to not being exploited – and to better decision-making...