Hi, I recently co-wrote a piece for Bar and Bench on why institutional arbitration deserves more recognition in India and how it is not as expensive as we think it is. Here is the piece – do let me know what you think. https://www.barandbench.com/columns/institutional-arbitration-the-right-choice-for-arbitration-users-in-india
Why side projects work
For those of you who do not know me, I work as a lawyer with a corporate law firm in Bombay. While I enjoy my job, I think it is important for me to do things out side of my job and not let my job define my identity. So, I run this blog, a… Continue reading Why side projects work
Underdogs, Akala, and Personal Finance
Hi, Hope you are doing well. The book I am recommending today is: David & Goliath: underdogs, misfits and the art of battling giants by Malcolm Gladwell. In this book, Gladwell challenges the assumption that to be poorer, weaker, or less skilled is necessarily a disadvantage. He examines what it means to be disadvantaged, why… Continue reading Underdogs, Akala, and Personal Finance
Interview with Manu Pillai
Hi, I hope you are doing well. I am very excited to publish a written interview with Manu Pillai, eminent historian and author of fine books like False Allies, The Ivory Throne, and my favourite, The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin in this edition. I ask Manu questions about what he enjoys, how he wrote his first book at… Continue reading Interview with Manu Pillai
Why we should read more fiction
I grew up with a lot of books and a lot of fiction in my house. Be it Gulliver’s Travels, The Panchatantra, ACK’s Mahabharata, I went through the usual books quicker than my parents could buy me new books. Growing up in an academic campus, reading was encouraged and my parents nudged me just the… Continue reading Why we should read more fiction
Podcast Update – Episode 04
Hi, the latest episode of my podcast, Books from Abhinav, is now out on Youtube: Spotify: In this episode, I discuss Michael Lewis’ The Big Short, share some trivia on the discovery of sucralose, and more.
Archer, Music, and the Imperial Raj
Hi, Hope you are doing well. I find myself going back more and more towards fiction and I read Jeffrey Archer’s ‘Over my dead body’ this weekend. The fourth instalment in the William Warwick series, the book pits Warwick against his arch-nemesis, Miles Faulkner. Written in traditional Archer-esque fashion, this book discards some fantastic characters from… Continue reading Archer, Music, and the Imperial Raj
Fight Club, True Fans, and more
Hi, Hope you are doing well. Today, I am recommending a book I enjoyed, an interesting article, a video on a framework to make important life decisions, and a song I have frequently been going back to. Also, an update on the podcast I have been working on as part of the Podcast Lab by… Continue reading Fight Club, True Fans, and more
Thinking about Thinking (x2) and more
From Abhinav’s Newsletter dated September 19, 2021 Hope you are doing well. Today’s book recommendations are: The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky are two of the greatest behavioural economists (and minds) of our generation. This book, by Michael Lewis, one of my favourite authors looks at the friendship and the co-operation between… Continue reading Thinking about Thinking (x2) and more
Flipkart, Murder, and more
From Abhinav’s Newsletter dated September 26, 2021 Hi, Hope you are doing well. Happy to share that this is the 50th edition of my newsletter. I don’t know if I have added value to you, my dear reader, but I am so glad I have been doing this. Today’s book recommendations are: Big Billion Startup: the Flipkart… Continue reading Flipkart, Murder, and more
What am I doing?
Building in public – this will look great in my autobiography or I will be embarrassed in 2 years As most of you would know by now, I am a content creator trying to build a newsletter, blog, and an instagram account discussing what I love the most – books. Caveat: This post is not… Continue reading What am I doing?
On Privilege
The idea of how the lottery of birth determines our life outcomes is something I discovered only at the age of 18. I remember my legal methods prof walking into our first ever class at NLUD, where 80 kids with inflated egos had stepped in, assuming that having topped a national level entrance exam meant… Continue reading On Privilege
On Political Kindness
When was the last time you changed your opinion because someone called you a dumb genocidal moron? When was the last time anyone changed their opinion for that reason? When was the last time anyone changed their opinion? Human beings are not static creatures tethered to their opinions. We learn, we grow, we change, sometimes… Continue reading On Political Kindness
Are you stupid?
Over the last year and a half, people have been debating WFH and going back to the office on a regular basis. An important aspect is whether there should be differential pay for those WFH vs. coming to the office. When people were asked if they would be willing to take a 15% deduction in… Continue reading Are you stupid?
The Perils of being Political
Being political has a huge range of benefits. Having certain value, thinking about what a state should do, what is important for the citizenry are virtuous and make one a well-rounder person. However, being political has some adverse effects. This might not be a universal problem, but on issues where I have not chosen a… Continue reading The Perils of being Political
Apps to Explore – Readwise + Notion
Hope you are doing well. Today, I am sharing 2 apps that have thoroughly enjoyed over the last few months. Readwise You ever wonder what you learnt from that book you read 4 years ago on free speech and privacy only to realise that while you read a 500 page book and highlighted so many… Continue reading Apps to Explore – Readwise + Notion
Starting a Successful Side-Hustle: Learnings from Ali’s Skillshare Course
Hi, Hope you are doing well. Recently, I took Ali Abdaal’s Skillshare course on starting a side project. I enjoyed the course and wanted to share what I had learnt over the short course. I could access this course from the free 1-week trial so please do check it out. I know I have been… Continue reading Starting a Successful Side-Hustle: Learnings from Ali’s Skillshare Course
Psychology of Money
Over the last year, I have been actively consuming a lot of content on personal finance. The most popular book from last year on this topic was The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. As someone starting my career and receiving my first real salary, it was important for me to start saving/investing as soon as possible. At… Continue reading Psychology of Money
Great is the enemy of Good
I have been thinking about trying new things and executing new projects and why we often fail or lose interest very early. If I wanted to start a channel reviewing tech gadgets, the first thing I am likely to do is check out Marques Brownlee’s YouTube channel. Look at his production value, how great his… Continue reading Great is the enemy of Good
Are Productivity Gurus the Priests of our times?
Over the last few months, I have been following a lot of productivity gurus and startup gyan folks on Twitter. This got me thinking, are they the priests of our generation? Who were priests? Priests were common folk who claimed to guide others to greater treasures they might not themselves possess. Some of them might… Continue reading Are Productivity Gurus the Priests of our times?
Why are some colleges better?
Hope you are doing well. Recently, someone posed a question on a legal gossip site about why some colleges are considered better than others? Is their teaching pedagogy so good that they learn more? Are the students entering those places orders of magnitude smarter than the rests of the country? The answer to either question… Continue reading Why are some colleges better?
WFH Workstation – Setup + What to buy
Hope you are doing well. You remember after work yesterday you felt your aching back and decided to never stoop while working again? Guess who is stooping again! Over the last year and a half, many of us have tried adopting to the WFH model, succeeding partly, if at all. As a student, I did… Continue reading WFH Workstation – Setup + What to buy
Youtube Channels to Explore
Hi, Hope you are doing well. Too lazy to read, I have been binging YouTube these days. If you are like me, you would not normally watch YouTube videos on screenplays, math, or other things that we do not normally work with. But if you are generally curious and wanna check out random stuff, do… Continue reading Youtube Channels to Explore
Article Recommendations
Hi, The Black Swan has gotten a bit boring so I am taking a couple of days away from the book. Meanwhile, I want to share 2 articles I enjoyed recently which I think you’ll have fun with. Articles: A Guide to Cold – Emailing, by Tucker Max The most useful skill I have learnt… Continue reading Article Recommendations
Flowers for Algernon but J Cole writes it
Playing around with ChatGPT As an AI language model, I can’t accurately predict how J Cole would rewrite Flowers for Algernon, but I can try to offer an interpretation based on his style and themes. J Cole is known for his introspective and socially conscious lyrics, often addressing issues of race, politics, and personal struggles.… Continue reading Flowers for Algernon but J Cole writes it
Infinite Zounds – the Quizzing blog is back!
From class 6-12, my favourite thing in life was quizzing. Weekends were for quizzing, weekdays to prepare. The friendships formed and the confidence gained through quizzing are things I am always grateful for. Back in those days, the best quizzing blog for Indian Quizzing was Infinite Zounds – a fine blog run by Ramanand. Coincidentally,… Continue reading Infinite Zounds – the Quizzing blog is back!
Nuclear Bombs make bad bottle openers
At the peak of the Cold War, the US and Russia were at each other’s throats and preparing for imminent attacks from the other side. While war is serious, this did not eliminate experiments with absurd ideas. The Federal Civil Defence Administration tried to nuke beer, soda and carbonated water. It was not a waste… Continue reading Nuclear Bombs make bad bottle openers
Physics, Physique and Music
I had saved this draft as November 28, 2021 – when I was supposed to send it. But laziness got the better of me, I had not read a book good enough for me to recommend, and work had gotten intense. However, these are my recommendations for the week: The Three Body Problem, by Cixin… Continue reading Physics, Physique and Music
Legal Shmegal
Hi, Hope you are doing well. Recently, a tax tribunal in Bengaluru ruled that the carry that venture capital and private equity firms charge on their profits is a fee for their services and is not a return on investment (para 43.2). Carry, is what such firms charge as a percent of the profits they have made… Continue reading Legal Shmegal
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