Explore the Future Now: Mind-Blowing Science & Technology Book Picks from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world.  

Amit Varma is a respected journalist and writer, twice winner of the Bastiat Prize for Journalism. The show is known for its rich intellectual content and the diversity of its guests, making it a valuable resource for anyone interested in public policy, history, culture, or economics in India today. Here is a categorized arrangement of the provided books into related sections based on their themes related to Science & Technology:

Genetics, Evolution, and Human Nature

1. Lifespan: Why We Age—and Why We Don’t Have To — David Sinclair
2. Hacking Darwin — Jamie Metzl
3. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters — Matt Ridley
4. The Evolution of Everything: How New Ideas Emerge — Matt Ridley
5. The Origins of Virtue: Human Instincts and the Evolution of Cooperation — Matt Ridley
6. Who We Are and How We Got Here — David Reich
7. The Blank Slate: The Modern Denial of Human Nature — Steven Pinker

Nutrition, Health, and Science Critique

1. The Case Against Sugar — Gary Taubes
2. The Big Fat Surprise — Nina Teicholz

Environmental Science and Nature

1. The Moth Snowstorm: Nature and Joy — Michael McCarthy
2. The Hidden Life of Trees — Peter Wohlleben
3. The Genius of Birds — Jennifer Ackerman
4. H Is for Hawk — Helen Macdonald

Neuroscience, Psychology, and Behavior

1. Behave — Robert M. Sapolsky
2. Everybody Lies — Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
3. The Tell-Tale Brain — V. S. Ramachandran
4. Enlightenment Now — Steven Pinker

History, Philosophy, and Science Studies

1. Leviathan and the Air-Pump — Steven Shapin & Simon Schaffer
2. Birth of a Theorem — Cédric Villani
3. A Terrible Beauty — Peter Watson
4. Merchants of Doubt — Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway

For readers seeking to dive deeper into the themes discussed on the podcast, the book recommendations serve as a comprehensive guide to engaging with the complex ideas Amit Varma and his guests explore.

Explore India’s Rich History: Top Book Picks from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world.

I am only sharing the books recommended related to Indian History: 

Post-Independence to Contemporary India (1970s–Present)

1. India after Gandhi — Ramachandra Guha
2. 1971: A Global History of the Creation of Bangladesh — Srinath Raghavan
3. Emergency Chronicles: Indira Gandhi and Democracy’s Turning Point — Gyan Prakash
4. India Moving: A History of Migration — Chinmay Tumbe
5. Jugalbandi: The BJP Before Modi — Vinay Sitapati
6. The Paradoxical Prime Minister — Shashi Tharoor
7. The Generation of Rage in Kashmir — David Devadas
8. Atomic State: Big Science in Twentieth-Century India — Jahnavi Phalkey

Independence and Nation-Building Era (1940s–1970s)

1. VP Menon: The Unsung Architect of Modern India — Narayani Basu
2. The Man Who Saved India: Sardar Patel and His Idea of India — Hindol Sengupta
3. Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India — Akshaya Mukul

Colonial and Pre-Independence India

1. Gandhi Before India — Ramachandra Guha
2. Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World — Ramachandra Guha
3. An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India — Shashi Tharoor
4. Gods, Guns and Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity — Manu Pillai 
5. Age Of Pandemics (1817-1920): How they shaped India and the World — Chinmay Tumbe

Ancient to Early Modern India

1. Early Indians — Tony Joseph
2. The Great Indian Novel — Shashi Tharoor
3. The Discovery of India — Jawaharlal Nehru
4. Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji — Manu Pillai
5. False Allies: India’s Maharajahs in The Age of Ravi Varma — Manu Pillai

9 Must-Read Essays and Journalism Classics from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world. 

I am only sharing the books recommended related to Journalism & Media:

1.The New New Journalism — Robert Boynton

This book offers deep insight into the craft and practice of modern journalism. It features interviews with 19 leading journalists who bring facts to life in compelling ways, making stories engaging and impactful. It inspires journalists and writers to improve storytelling techniques essential for today’s media landscape.

2. The Power Broker — Robert A. Caro

This is a multi-dimensional portrait of American power and political influence. Through Robert Caro’s detailed biography, readers learn how power is gained, wielded, and its impact on ordinary people. It is a masterclass in political biography, journalism, history, and the nuanced study of power.

3. The Naïve and the Sentimental Novelist — Orhan Pamuk

This book explores the inner world of writing and reading fiction. Orhan Pamuk discusses the relationship between imagination and sensitivity, showing how literature creates alternate worlds for both writers and readers. It offers valuable perspectives for lovers of literature.

4. How Fiction Works — James Wood

James Wood’s book helps readers and writers understand the complexities of narrative art. It examines key story elements like realism, character, description, and point of view, providing a thorough understanding of how fiction is crafted. It’s useful for aspiring writers and serious readers alike.

5. On Writing Well — William Zinsser

This classic guide on nonfiction writing teaches clarity, simplicity, and effectiveness. It shows that good writing comes from clear thinking and offers ways to refine a writer’s voice. It is essential reading for writers of all styles and levels.

6. I Lost It at the Movies — Pauline Kael

Pauline Kael’s critical essays capture the experience of cinema and her personal relationship with film. The book is a deep dive into film critique with cultural and emotional insights, which is important for film lovers and critics.

7. Frank Sinatra Has a Cold — Gay Talese

This groundbreaking piece of journalism broke traditional rules, blending profile and narrative. It reveals Frank Sinatra’s world through a personal and cultural lens and showcases new dimensions in storytelling and journalism.

8. Everybody Loves a Good Drought — P. Sainath

This book highlights rural poverty, drought, and social inequality in India through thorough field reporting. It offers critical insight into social justice and rural development, making it a vital reference for journalists and policymakers.

9. A Collection of Essays — George Orwell

George Orwell’s essays provide sharp and profound analysis on literature, society, and politics. He emphasizes journalistic integrity and authenticity, which remain relevant today. His writing exemplifies thoughtful clarity.

These books offer exceptional perspectives on journalism, storytelling, criticism, and social awareness, making them important reads for serious readers and professionals.

Books on Ideas That Will Make You Smarter — Curated from The Seen and the Unseen Podcast

"The Seen and the Unseen" is India's premier long-form podcast hosted by Amit Varma. The podcast, which has been running since 2017, features long-form conversations with intellectuals, writers, economists, historians, and thought leaders from India and around the world. 

I am only sharing the books recommended grouped into broad thematic categories that align with traditional library and academic classification systems in philosophy, psychology, ethics, and literature:

Psychology and Cognitive Science

1. The Elephant in the Brain — Kevin Simler & Robin Hanson
2. Human: The Science Behind What Makes Your Brain Unique — Michael S. Gazzaniga
3. Thinking, Fast and Slow — Daniel Kahneman

Ethics, Morality, and Philosophy of Goodness

1. The Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People — Michael Shermer
2. Better Never to Have Been — David Benatar
3. The Difficulty of Being Good — Gurcharan Das
4. The Expanding Circle: Ethics, Evolution, and Moral Progress — Peter Singer
5. On Bullshit — Harry Frankfurt

Philosophy and Intellectual History

1. Ideas: A History of Thought and Invention, from Fire to Freud — Peter Watson
2. The Hedgehog and the Fox — Isaiah Berlin
3. The Open Society and Its Enemies — Karl Popper
4. The Logic of Scientific Discovery — Karl Popper
5. History Of Western Philosophy — Bertrand Russell
6. History of European Morals — W. E. H. Lecky

Sociology, Social Psychology, and Mass Behavior

1. Crowds and Power — Elias Canetti
2. The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind — Gustave Le Bon
3. The Argumentative Indian — Amartya Sen

Literary Criticism and Classics

1. Why Read the Classics? — Italo Calvino
2. Testaments Betrayed — Milan Kundera
3. Beyond Words: Philosophy, Fiction, and the Unsayable — Timothy Cleveland