📖 Overview
I Do What I Do presents key speeches and insights from Raghuram Rajan's tenure as Governor of the Reserve Bank of India, offering direct commentary on India's economic landscape from 2013 to 2016. The book comprises speeches delivered at various forums, accompanied by Rajan's contextual analysis of the economic and political environment.
The text covers critical economic policies and decisions during Rajan's governorship, including inflation targeting, banking sector reforms, and monetary policy frameworks. His perspective on India's demonetization initiative and views on combating black money through technological solutions like Aadhaar form significant portions of the discussion.
This collection serves as both an economic policy document and a reflection on India's financial governance during a transformative period. The analysis bridges academic economic theory with practical policy implementation, documenting the rationale behind major monetary decisions that shaped India's economy.
👀 Reviews
Readers found this collection of Rajan's speeches and writings to be informative but lacking depth compared to his other works. Many note it serves as a record of his time as RBI Governor rather than offering new insights.
Readers appreciated:
- Clear explanations of complex economic policies
- Behind-the-scenes look at RBI decision-making
- Rajan's straightforward writing style
- Discussion of demonetization and its effects
Common criticisms:
- Too much recycled content from speeches
- Surface-level analysis of issues
- Limited new material or perspectives
- Repetitive themes across chapters
Ratings:
Goodreads: 3.9/5 (500+ ratings)
Amazon India: 4.2/5 (1,000+ ratings)
Sample reader comment from Goodreads: "More like a compilation of his previous works rather than a new book. Good for those unfamiliar with his speeches, but disappointing for followers of his work."
Several readers noted this book works better as a reference text than a continuous read.
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Stress Test by Timothy Geithner Former Treasury Secretary Geithner provides insights into the decision-making process during financial crises and the mechanisms of central banking.
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🤔 Interesting facts
🏦 Rajan accurately predicted the 2008 global financial crisis at a 2005 conference, earning him the nickname "Cassandra of Banking"
📈 During his tenure as RBI Governor, India's foreign exchange reserves reached an all-time high of $363 billion
🎓 He was the youngest-ever Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund (2003-2006) and the first non-westerner to hold this position
💡 The title "I Do What I Do" comes from Rajan's response to critics who questioned his decisions about keeping interest rates high to control inflation
🌟 He was named "Global Indian of the Year" by NASSCOM in 2014 and featured in TIME magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2016