Keeping pace with Karthik Muralidharan, the 'Shinkansen' economist

Anjuli Bhargava races to keep pace with Muralidharan's breakneck speed train of thought on effective governance

Meeting Karthik Muralidharan over Zoom is like running into the Japanese Shinkansen (bullet train) at full throttle. I have in the past come across a few others like him: People whose brain works at a pace the rest of their faculties fail to match, but most jumble up some thoughts in the process. Muralidharan is an exception.
 

After a few niceties, he plunges straight into his life story, taking me on so many roller coasters that I struggle to remain steady.

I am relieved to see he does occasionally pause to catch his breath as I worry he will