The reason to write this list, again this year, was a new bestseller that my husband gifted me: What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama.
Thanks for sharing your list, especially the recommendations for books on trade! I just finished reading Jaishankar's The India Way where the running theme is the shifting nature of geopolitics, globalization, and trade. I plan to read more on this theme in 2025 especially to understand the implications for Africa.
I haven't read What You Are Looking For Is In the Library, but a book with a similar theme and that questioned the norms of an achievement-oriented society was my favorite read in 2024 --Hwan Bo-reum's Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
What an incredible list. The Hanuman Chalisa translation is one of my morning pick up reads as I listen to MSS singing it with all the less than perfect pronunciation but mellifluous nevertheless. If you liked this you must read the translation of Thirukkural by Shri Gopal Krishna Gandhi. Even for a non Tamil speaker it reads beautifully and those of us who can understand some Tamil it remains a treat. The Covenant of Water is brilliant; was one of my favourite reads of 2024. If you have not read dr Verghese's Cutting for Stone yet- donread it. It is in my eyes a shade even more masterly than The Covenant... And listening to William Darlymple read his own book on Audible with the beautiful hardback in hand is a treat. Thank you for sharing your recommendations.
I'll definitely look it up! I love Gopal Krishna Gandhi's writing but I haven't read this translation. Will do soon. I loved Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma's translation called The Kural.
Doug Irwin's Clash Over Commerce is indeed a gem...as are all his books and papers. If you are interested in the history of multilateralism and trade policy in general, I recommend his paper entitled "Multilateral and Bilateral Trade Policies in the World Trading System: An Historical Perspective." Another gem. In my humble opinion, Doug deserves the Nobel Prize in Economics. Why not with Anne Krueger?
I have not read the new translation of Hanuman Chalisa you mentioned, but will certainly do so. I used to listen to Human Chalisa only on Tuesday mornings, but for a year or so, I have been listening to it every singe morning - though I do not know why I chose to do so.
On my personal list, and for a long time, has been your PhD dissertation. I finished reading and annotating it this morning! Congratulations for this very original dissertation!
You are welcome. I wish you a Happy (and Productive) New Year.
Your dissertation is the most original one I have read on India - just before Benjamin Siegel's "Hungry Nation: Food, Famine, and the Making of Modern India" (I read his book, not his dissertation itself).
Yes, I did read the transcript of your podcast with Ms Krueger, as well as that with Doug Irwin and that with Aditya Balasubramanian's about his excellent book on the Swatanatra Party in India (my only "regret" upon reading this book is the rare number of times he refers to Piloo Mody - whom I like a lot, he was so witty and funny). Fascinating to read these great scholars. Thank you.
As for my reading list last year, the 2 best books I read are, first, Sebastian Edwards's "The Chile Project: The Story of the Chicago Boys and the Downfall of Neoliberalism" (2023). A splendid and unputdownable book. Edwards was not a member of the Chicago Boys as he writes in his book. I call him a "Harberger Boy" (Harberger is one of the three persons to whom Edwards dedicates his book). As in Harberger's writings, the same scintillating prose, the same temperance, the same open-mindedness, the same ability to go to the deep root of things, etc. are at display in The Chile Project (as in Edwards's other writings). Arguably the best book in economics I have read during the past 10 years.
Second is Christophe Jaffrelot and Pratinav Anil's "India's First Dictatorship: The Emergency, 1975-1977" (2021). I've read half-a-dozen book sonly on the Emergency in India. This book is by the far the best one I have read (though I have some reservations about their economic analysis of the Emergency in chap. 2).
Beyond these 2 books, I found Arvind Panagariya's "The Nehru-Era Economic History and Thought & Their Lasting Impact" (2024) quite interesting and Taylor Sherman's "Nehru's India: A History in Seven Myths" (2022) also quite interesting - though she sometimes overstretches her argument. I am not a specialist of Indian economics and politics contrary to Ms Sherman, but when she says that it is a myth that Nehru was a socialist, I find her unconvincing.
As for prayers, last year I discovered the Neel Saraswati Stotram. Since then, I listen Madhvi Madhukar Jha chant it every morning. I hope I'll be able to recite it without reading the version I printed for Vasant Panchami on Feb. 2. Take care.
Very impressive. Thanks for sharing. I took a year off in 1970-71 to read economics articles and books. I learned more in that year than even in my first year of graduate school, where I learned a lot. But I didn't read just economics. I read the 4 Penguin volumes of Orwell's essays and letters and that somehow led me to Down and Out in Paris and London. The one thing I remember from it (that WAS 54 years ago) is the waiter in the restaurant dropping the turkey on the floor, picking it up and putting it back on his serving plate, going through the door to the kitchen, waiting a few seconds, and then bringing the same turkey out to the patrons. Based on this and a few other stories, Orwell argued that restaurants ought to be banned. Tell me if I'm misremembering.
Like you, I'm a big fan of Doug Irwin. And it's interesting that he does all this without having graduate students. I gave a talk to his summer class in 2017 at Dartmouth and it was then that I learned that he taught only undergrads because there's no Masters or Ph.D. program. I've never been good at predicting Nobel Prize winners and so this isn't a prediction. Rather it's a "they should win." I would award the next Nobel Prize to Irwin, Bhagwati, and Anne Krueger.
David, you have an incredible memory! Yes, there is the story of the waiter dropping a roast chicken down shaft of an elevator and it ends up in dirty. And they just dust it off and serve it. I don't recall him calling for a ban, but more about how these Parisian hotels were engaging in fraud, especially with American tourists. Totally agree on Doug Irwin and Krueger! :)
Thanks, Shruti. One reason I remembered is that it did make me wonder whether any such thing had ever happened to me in a restaurant. I did remember imperfectly, though. The elevator shaft part is WORSE than I remembered. I love your Substack, by the way.
Thanks for sharing your list, especially the recommendations for books on trade! I just finished reading Jaishankar's The India Way where the running theme is the shifting nature of geopolitics, globalization, and trade. I plan to read more on this theme in 2025 especially to understand the implications for Africa.
I haven't read What You Are Looking For Is In the Library, but a book with a similar theme and that questioned the norms of an achievement-oriented society was my favorite read in 2024 --Hwan Bo-reum's Welcome to Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
Thanks for the suggestions! Adding it to the list.
What an incredible list. The Hanuman Chalisa translation is one of my morning pick up reads as I listen to MSS singing it with all the less than perfect pronunciation but mellifluous nevertheless. If you liked this you must read the translation of Thirukkural by Shri Gopal Krishna Gandhi. Even for a non Tamil speaker it reads beautifully and those of us who can understand some Tamil it remains a treat. The Covenant of Water is brilliant; was one of my favourite reads of 2024. If you have not read dr Verghese's Cutting for Stone yet- donread it. It is in my eyes a shade even more masterly than The Covenant... And listening to William Darlymple read his own book on Audible with the beautiful hardback in hand is a treat. Thank you for sharing your recommendations.
I'll definitely look it up! I love Gopal Krishna Gandhi's writing but I haven't read this translation. Will do soon. I loved Thomas Hitoshi Pruiksma's translation called The Kural.
The most diverse book recommendation ive ever read. 👌🏾
Very nice reading list, Shruti.
Doug Irwin's Clash Over Commerce is indeed a gem...as are all his books and papers. If you are interested in the history of multilateralism and trade policy in general, I recommend his paper entitled "Multilateral and Bilateral Trade Policies in the World Trading System: An Historical Perspective." Another gem. In my humble opinion, Doug deserves the Nobel Prize in Economics. Why not with Anne Krueger?
I have not read the new translation of Hanuman Chalisa you mentioned, but will certainly do so. I used to listen to Human Chalisa only on Tuesday mornings, but for a year or so, I have been listening to it every singe morning - though I do not know why I chose to do so.
On my personal list, and for a long time, has been your PhD dissertation. I finished reading and annotating it this morning! Congratulations for this very original dissertation!
Thank you for your kind words and for reading!
Totally agree on Doug Irwin and Anne Krueger. I had the good fortune of recording with her and she is just incredible.
You are welcome. I wish you a Happy (and Productive) New Year.
Your dissertation is the most original one I have read on India - just before Benjamin Siegel's "Hungry Nation: Food, Famine, and the Making of Modern India" (I read his book, not his dissertation itself).
Yes, I did read the transcript of your podcast with Ms Krueger, as well as that with Doug Irwin and that with Aditya Balasubramanian's about his excellent book on the Swatanatra Party in India (my only "regret" upon reading this book is the rare number of times he refers to Piloo Mody - whom I like a lot, he was so witty and funny). Fascinating to read these great scholars. Thank you.
As for my reading list last year, the 2 best books I read are, first, Sebastian Edwards's "The Chile Project: The Story of the Chicago Boys and the Downfall of Neoliberalism" (2023). A splendid and unputdownable book. Edwards was not a member of the Chicago Boys as he writes in his book. I call him a "Harberger Boy" (Harberger is one of the three persons to whom Edwards dedicates his book). As in Harberger's writings, the same scintillating prose, the same temperance, the same open-mindedness, the same ability to go to the deep root of things, etc. are at display in The Chile Project (as in Edwards's other writings). Arguably the best book in economics I have read during the past 10 years.
Second is Christophe Jaffrelot and Pratinav Anil's "India's First Dictatorship: The Emergency, 1975-1977" (2021). I've read half-a-dozen book sonly on the Emergency in India. This book is by the far the best one I have read (though I have some reservations about their economic analysis of the Emergency in chap. 2).
Beyond these 2 books, I found Arvind Panagariya's "The Nehru-Era Economic History and Thought & Their Lasting Impact" (2024) quite interesting and Taylor Sherman's "Nehru's India: A History in Seven Myths" (2022) also quite interesting - though she sometimes overstretches her argument. I am not a specialist of Indian economics and politics contrary to Ms Sherman, but when she says that it is a myth that Nehru was a socialist, I find her unconvincing.
As for prayers, last year I discovered the Neel Saraswati Stotram. Since then, I listen Madhvi Madhukar Jha chant it every morning. I hope I'll be able to recite it without reading the version I printed for Vasant Panchami on Feb. 2. Take care.
Wonderful list and a reader's delight...
Out of curiosity: Do you read books in natural sciences (popular level, of course)?
Some, but not enough. Any recommendations?
A few off the cuff:
https://www.stevenstrogatz.com/books/sync-the-emerging-science-of-spontaneous-order
https://www.amazon.in/What-Scientific-Hypothetical-Questions-International/dp/0544456866
https://edyong.me/i-contain-multitudes
Since you are deeply interested in music, you may like this : https://www.amazon.com/Music-Instinct-Works-Cant-Without/dp/0199896429
Awesome, thanks!
Very impressive. Thanks for sharing. I took a year off in 1970-71 to read economics articles and books. I learned more in that year than even in my first year of graduate school, where I learned a lot. But I didn't read just economics. I read the 4 Penguin volumes of Orwell's essays and letters and that somehow led me to Down and Out in Paris and London. The one thing I remember from it (that WAS 54 years ago) is the waiter in the restaurant dropping the turkey on the floor, picking it up and putting it back on his serving plate, going through the door to the kitchen, waiting a few seconds, and then bringing the same turkey out to the patrons. Based on this and a few other stories, Orwell argued that restaurants ought to be banned. Tell me if I'm misremembering.
Like you, I'm a big fan of Doug Irwin. And it's interesting that he does all this without having graduate students. I gave a talk to his summer class in 2017 at Dartmouth and it was then that I learned that he taught only undergrads because there's no Masters or Ph.D. program. I've never been good at predicting Nobel Prize winners and so this isn't a prediction. Rather it's a "they should win." I would award the next Nobel Prize to Irwin, Bhagwati, and Anne Krueger.
David, you have an incredible memory! Yes, there is the story of the waiter dropping a roast chicken down shaft of an elevator and it ends up in dirty. And they just dust it off and serve it. I don't recall him calling for a ban, but more about how these Parisian hotels were engaging in fraud, especially with American tourists. Totally agree on Doug Irwin and Krueger! :)
Thanks, Shruti. One reason I remembered is that it did make me wonder whether any such thing had ever happened to me in a restaurant. I did remember imperfectly, though. The elevator shaft part is WORSE than I remembered. I love your Substack, by the way.
I think you'll have fun re-reading it! If such a thing happened to me, I'd rather not know. :)
And thank you for your kind words. It's a huge compliment coming from you. I have admired your writing for years.
Thanks, Shruti. About to get on the road but will read what you emailed me tomorrow.