Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens

Written by Rajiv Shah

Narrated by Rajiv Shah

“Encouraging…Uplifting...Meeting apparently insurmountable goals requires thinking big…this will inspire.” —Publishers Weekly

“Raj Shah has written a practical guide to making the world a better place. He knows what he’s talking about, because he’s done it himself. Anyone who wants to make a change in the world, or their own lives, will benefit from this book.” —Bill Gates, Cochair, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Rajiv J. Shah, president of the Rockefeller Foundation and former administrator of President Barack Obama’s United States Agency for International Development, shares a dynamic new model for creating large scale change, inspired by his own involvements with some of the largest humanitarian projects of our time.

Rajiv J. Shah is no stranger to pulling off the impossible, from helping vaccinate 900 million children at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to a high-pressure race against the clock to stop the spread of Ebola. His secret? A big bets philosophy—the idea that seeking to solve problems rather than make incremental improvements can attract the unlikely partners with the power and know-how to achieve transformational change. Part career sweeping memoir, part inspirational playbook, Big Bets offers a master class in decision-making, leadership, and changing the world one bet at a time.

Shah animates his strategic insights with vivid behind-the-scenes stories, memorable conversations with household names that helped shape his approach to creating change, and his own personal growth as an Indian-American from an immigrant family looking for a way to belong. He distills his battle-tested strategies for creating change, arguing that big bets have a surprising advantage over cautious ones: a bold vision can attract support, collaborations, and fresh ideas from key players who might otherwise be resistant. Throughout the book, Shah traces his unlikely path to the Rockefeller Foundation across a changing world and through some of the most ambitious, dramatic global efforts to create a better world.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Release date: Oct 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781797165523

Rajiv Shah

Dr. Rajiv J. Shah serves as president of the Rockefeller Foundation, a global institution with a mission to promote the well-being of humanity around the world. With a century-long track record of leveraging science, technology, and innovation, The Foundation is pioneering new ways to enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. Dr. Shah is a graduate of the University of Michigan, the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and the Wharton School. He has received several honorary degrees, the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award, and the US Global Leadership Award. He is married to Shivam Mallick Shah, and they have three children.

Reviews for Big Bets

[bilgeone · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Give this book a chance. Its simplicity hides deeper messages.
As political polarization dominates our age, the book provides common sense grounded in practical experience.
It's a light, easy read about his stints at the Gates Foundation followed by Obama's White House saving USAID for Haiti.
Superficially like dozens of other autobiographical leadership books, its merits are in plain sight. But why I read it was a Politico article (Oct 14, 2023) which highlights one brief passage about bonding with Senator Inhofe (of snowball on the Senate floor fame).
Ignoring the editor's inflammatory headline, the point of the article is how political opponents may build bridges.
Shah's advice is "not to talk about policy at all, just to get to know people and their values." He learned this lesson the hard way during the Obama budget negotiations. The review applies this story to the current debate about Ukraine aid, but the principle is universal.
Shah calls building bridges "opening the turn-style."
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/13/congress-funding-ukraine-israel-00121226

Dr Shah, now President of the Rockefeller Foundation, has become an inspirational figure and true leader. This book deserves high praise for its down-to-earth, personal style and inspiring role model.
His ability to empathize and relate to everyone is amazing.
DISAMBIGUATION:
Rajiv Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation should not be confused with Raj Shah, Trump Administration.