Since 2007, entrepreneur and philanthropist Vikas Shah has been on a mission to interview the people shaping our century. Including conversations with Nobel prizewinners, business leaders, politicians, artists and Olympians, he has been in the privileged position of questioning the minds that matter on the big issues that concern us all. We often talk of war and conflict, the economy, culture, technology and revolutions as if they are something other than us. But all these things are a product of us - of our ideas, our dreams and our fears. We live in fast-moving and extraordinary times, and the changes we're experiencing now, in these first decades of the twenty-first century, feel particularly poignant as decisions are made that will inform our existence for years to come. What started out as a personal interest in the mechanisms that inform our views of the world, and a passion for understanding, has grown into a phenomenal compilation of once-in-a-lifetime conversations. In this incredible collection, Shah shares some of his most emotive and insightful interviews to date.
Thought Economics was published by Michael O'Mara on 4th February 2021 and you can buy it here.
My Review
This is a wonderful collection of short essays, transcripts of snippets from Shah's podcast interviews, from a very varied range of commentators. His interviewees include military personnel, authors, business people, government officials, sports people, activists and many more from across the globe. The topics covered are also wide ranging, and Shah's questioning is incisive and to the point.
I read the whole book but focused on the chapters that really interested me: 'On Identity: Who We Are', 'On Culture: The Context of Humanity' and 'On Discrimination and Injustice: Them and Us'. To be honest, I could have read a whole book of essays on each of these topics.
The first of these chapters, as well as looking at identity, also asks questions such as 'What does it mean to be alive?', How can we find meaning in our lives and a basis for morality?' and 'How can you conquer your fear?' Quantum mechanics is discussed, as are education and art. I loved Antony Gormley's first sentence in response to 'Why does art exist?' The opening to his reply was 'Art is the way life expresses itself.' Loved that. I was struck by the variety of contributors and loved reading all the different views.
The chapter on culture was particularly interesting to me as it discussed all forms of artistic expression: storytelling, poetry, music, cinema, music, art and cookery. As Shah himself says in the chapter introduction, 'Culture is not a thing - it is everything.' I loved hearing from the wonderful Maya Angelou and a number of poets, among other contributors. I was struck by something Angelou said in response to 'How does the written word for alongside other forms of culture?' She replied 'The written word is the base of culture, the spine.' Others may disagree but I liked that.
The discussions around discrimination and injustice were fascinating and enlightening, as was much of the conversation around war. FW de Klerk talks about the ending of apartheid in South Africa, Shah interviews an Auschwitz survivor and there are discussions of topics around sexism, LGBT+ rights, disability discrimination and mental health. The final few questions in this section were about activism and why we need it and, for me, this was a bit of a call to arms.
I love this book. You can read it cover to cover or pick it up occasionally and dip in. I particularly enjoyed the instances where there were many responses to one question as it was good to see a variety of views on the same subject. There's a helpful index of topics and contributors at the back of the book and short biographies of interviewees at the end of each chapter. I would have liked the biography to have come when the contributor first appeared in the chapter as for those I didn't know I found myself flicking backwards and forwards to check. But really that was my only niggle. Thought Economics is a fine collection of short essays from a huge range of contributors designed to make us think about who we are, how we behave and how we can change the future. I heartily recommend and will also be checking out Shah's podcast.
Steven's Review
An easy and very worthwhile read. It is a series of interview responses on subjects that we can all dip into such as identity, entrepreneurship, leadership, democracy, discrimination and more. The tone is conversational, the meaning easily accessible. Thought Economics has no pretensions - it is thought provoking and insightful. Shah converses with a wide spectrum of professionals including: writers, astronauts, soldiers, CEOs and football managers. The result is a book that carries relevance for every walk of life. It provides the reader with a determination to be more resilient and more tenacious, a sense that we can all be successful in terms of a shared humanity, if harmony and sustainability is what we truly want. A great read.
The Author
Thought Economics was founded by Vikas Shah MBE in 2007, and has been recognized globally for the quality of its editorial content, having been named as an official honoree at the 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 Webby Awards (run by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences) for Best Writing (Editorial) alongside The New York Times, the BBC, the Paris Review, Vanity Fair, the Financial Times and National Geographic.
The Thought Economics website includes interviews on a diverse range of topics including: business and economics, culture, society and the arts, politics and policy, science and technology.
Do check out the rest of the tour!
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