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Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens
“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 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.
“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 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.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 10, 2023
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
November 9, 2023
Rajiv Shah's Big Bets is an inspiring book about how to make large-scale change happen. Shah argues 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.
Shah distills his battle-tested strategies for creating change, drawing on his own experiences at the Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He tells stories of how big bets have been used to achieve transformational change in areas such as global health, education, and agriculture.
The book is full of practical advice for leaders at all levels, from how to identify and frame big bets to how to build coalitions and measure success. Shah also emphasizes the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks.
While I found Big Bets to be an inspiring and informative read, I have a few reservations. First, Shah is betting with house money. As the president of a large foundation, he has access to vast resources and networks that most people don't. Additionally, Shah never risks any of his personal finances; he doesn't have actual skin in the game. This makes it easier for him to take big bets.
Second, the book doesn't provide much guidance on how to choose which rules to apply when. Shah offers a number of general principles, such as the importance of focusing on a clear problem and having a bold vision. But he doesn't address the difficult trade-offs that leaders often face. For example, when do you need to prioritize speed over perfection? When should you be willing to compromise?
Overall, Big Bets is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to make a difference in the world. It's full of inspiring stories and practical advice. But it's important to keep in mind that Shah is not speaking from the same position as most people. And the book doesn't provide much guidance on how to make the tough decisions that leaders often face.
Shah distills his battle-tested strategies for creating change, drawing on his own experiences at the Rockefeller Foundation, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He tells stories of how big bets have been used to achieve transformational change in areas such as global health, education, and agriculture.
The book is full of practical advice for leaders at all levels, from how to identify and frame big bets to how to build coalitions and measure success. Shah also emphasizes the importance of resilience and perseverance in the face of setbacks.
While I found Big Bets to be an inspiring and informative read, I have a few reservations. First, Shah is betting with house money. As the president of a large foundation, he has access to vast resources and networks that most people don't. Additionally, Shah never risks any of his personal finances; he doesn't have actual skin in the game. This makes it easier for him to take big bets.
Second, the book doesn't provide much guidance on how to choose which rules to apply when. Shah offers a number of general principles, such as the importance of focusing on a clear problem and having a bold vision. But he doesn't address the difficult trade-offs that leaders often face. For example, when do you need to prioritize speed over perfection? When should you be willing to compromise?
Overall, Big Bets is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to make a difference in the world. It's full of inspiring stories and practical advice. But it's important to keep in mind that Shah is not speaking from the same position as most people. And the book doesn't provide much guidance on how to make the tough decisions that leaders often face.
January 23, 2024
Felt like an egoist's diary.
April 19, 2025
A quick read from Dr Shah, who was an early member of the Gates Foundation team, USAID Administrator, and now President of the Rockefeller Foundatuon. Really fascinating stories about “big bets” in Dr Shah’s career—world wide vaccinations, crisis management after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and widespread COVID-19 vaccinations, for a few examples. Nice to have an inspiring read at a moment that feels so dark for American public service!!
February 6, 2024
I found the bullet points at the end each chapter to be extremely helpful in understanding the examples that were in the chapters. It does seem hilarious at times to even think about trying to apply some of these tips to an ordinary person like myself. I mean the examples were all movers an shakers of the world, super smart people who are affecting change for millions of people. I don't have that kind of influence, but I can apply some of these tips to my family and community interactions.
January 8, 2025
No cohesive structure to the timelines and anecdotes. Plenty of name dropping and self-aggrandizing passages. Bit of a struggle to get through even as an audiobook
October 20, 2023
Yes we (still) can do great things
It’s pretty unfashionable in elite circles to think we can still engage in large-scale social projects. The right is reflexively anti-government and the left thinks that the public sector is the only tool to achieve positive change. Raj Shah embraces an optimistic view that we still can (and must) take on big projects with grand solutions, and that we need some eclectic and imaginative approaches to doing so.
Shah believes that we need to bring together unlikely allies to make progress - you can’t solve hunger unless you find a way to cross political divides. You can’t solve hunger unless you bring in agribusiness and shipping companies who have the logistical ability to deliver relief. And you need to be relentless in measuring success (or failure), using data from many sources to find out if you need to do something new or different.
There’s a lot here that should appeal to conservatives and liberals. If we think gridlock is unacceptable in the face of our national and global challenges, Shah’s approach provides a way forward.
It’s pretty unfashionable in elite circles to think we can still engage in large-scale social projects. The right is reflexively anti-government and the left thinks that the public sector is the only tool to achieve positive change. Raj Shah embraces an optimistic view that we still can (and must) take on big projects with grand solutions, and that we need some eclectic and imaginative approaches to doing so.
Shah believes that we need to bring together unlikely allies to make progress - you can’t solve hunger unless you find a way to cross political divides. You can’t solve hunger unless you bring in agribusiness and shipping companies who have the logistical ability to deliver relief. And you need to be relentless in measuring success (or failure), using data from many sources to find out if you need to do something new or different.
There’s a lot here that should appeal to conservatives and liberals. If we think gridlock is unacceptable in the face of our national and global challenges, Shah’s approach provides a way forward.
January 31, 2025
If you have access to hundreds of millions of dollars and can get a direct audiences with heads of state and billionaires, this is the book for you. The stories were slightly interesting, but failing to acknowledge that these big bets required lots of capital ($ and power) is a blind spot.
July 29, 2024
On the surface, the premise of this book appears to be one of giving advice: as Shah incessantly repeats, real, tangible change is often the product of big bets. As Shah illustrates with chapter-by-chapter descriptions of complex, global problems that he has faced, much of the beneficial change he has helped implement is the product of such big bets, which are only feasible in an optimistic framework. Despite the engaging narration of Shah's big bets in his professional career - and intermittent tidbits of his personal life - I didn't find much of Shah's advice to be particularly insightful or groundbreaking.
To be clear, Shah does a wonderful job of succinctly depicting his professional achievements. While seemingly egotistical, he deserves immense credit for his role in massive philanthropic accomplishments. Each chapter delineates a set of guidelines that he used to tackle a variety of situation-dependent issues - data-gathering, team-building, and challenging the status-quo, to name a few - in the midst of challenges ranging from global energy poverty and food insecurity to child immunizations and the COVID-19 pandemic. Each chapter's summaries are also helpful, reinforcing actionable frameworks of thought that Shah recommends for big bets of change.
However, as other reviews have mentioned, this "advice" seems superficial and a veil over the true purpose of this book, which is to describe Shah's impressive career. For example, one section header title in the chapter "Give Up Control" underscores his ability to "Learn and Adapt and Grow Together", which is something that any member of any sort of team would resonate with, and doesn't seem particularly profound. Shah also fundamentally ignores the "when" of his advice: Although Shah depicts his experiences pivoting, experimenting, or giving up control, for example, through the lens of his career, there is little actionable advice on when these different suggestions might be applicable in the reader's own life. When should control be delegated to someone else? When should we assemble an army of experts in a myriad of different fields (as Shah did with the COVID-19 pandemic) of maintain a tight-knit unit of trusted advisors?
In all fairness, maybe that's the point of Shah's advice: We can't always know the right time to apply these issues; the important thing could be to keep these principles under consideration in our decision-making processes. However, I think Shah could've done a better job of segmenting and valuing the considerations behind choices in facing his professional obstacles, rather than just providing a SparkNotes of his impressive career.
To be clear, Shah does a wonderful job of succinctly depicting his professional achievements. While seemingly egotistical, he deserves immense credit for his role in massive philanthropic accomplishments. Each chapter delineates a set of guidelines that he used to tackle a variety of situation-dependent issues - data-gathering, team-building, and challenging the status-quo, to name a few - in the midst of challenges ranging from global energy poverty and food insecurity to child immunizations and the COVID-19 pandemic. Each chapter's summaries are also helpful, reinforcing actionable frameworks of thought that Shah recommends for big bets of change.
However, as other reviews have mentioned, this "advice" seems superficial and a veil over the true purpose of this book, which is to describe Shah's impressive career. For example, one section header title in the chapter "Give Up Control" underscores his ability to "Learn and Adapt and Grow Together", which is something that any member of any sort of team would resonate with, and doesn't seem particularly profound. Shah also fundamentally ignores the "when" of his advice: Although Shah depicts his experiences pivoting, experimenting, or giving up control, for example, through the lens of his career, there is little actionable advice on when these different suggestions might be applicable in the reader's own life. When should control be delegated to someone else? When should we assemble an army of experts in a myriad of different fields (as Shah did with the COVID-19 pandemic) of maintain a tight-knit unit of trusted advisors?
In all fairness, maybe that's the point of Shah's advice: We can't always know the right time to apply these issues; the important thing could be to keep these principles under consideration in our decision-making processes. However, I think Shah could've done a better job of segmenting and valuing the considerations behind choices in facing his professional obstacles, rather than just providing a SparkNotes of his impressive career.
November 15, 2023
The name of Rajiv Shah and the name of the book may not attract people looking for a good book in the store or library. But, it’s a good book, especially in these times.
The first sentence is “If you picked up this book, you’re drawn to the possibility of changing the world in a big, lasting way.” Yes, many readers would put the down fast. But another group of readers will want to work through the book to find a way to make a change in the world.
In the pages that are the statement before the beginning, writer Rajiv Shah tells us very early in the book that he came from poor people. He tells us “More 3 and more, I thought the path to big change would be in politics…” (p. 12) He tells us that he saw that things in the world should be changed.
In the first chapter (Ask a Simple Question) comes with “What does it cost to immunized one child?” Then at page 25, “Money Alone Doesn’t Deliver Outcomes.” (19) At the end of the first chapter, we get a list of directions to do the work he sees for us. And he talks about the husband and wives have given millions of dollars from their business. The first chapter ends near the chapter: You must list to anyone with insight and ideas about how you can meet your goals and speak to everyone about your plans.”
We get a few parts of the book that are useful: “Jump First,” “Open Turnstiles,” “Make It Personal” and many more. Our recent President shows up many times in the book.
Chapter 8, “Pivot,” is the last chapter that tells there are the things that we need to do: “We are living in one of the most innovative moments in history: Every day, we hear of break though in sickness, technology, social understanding, and psychology, to name a few.
The first two words of the title make a clear statement of what we have to do when we are in trouble.
The first sentence is “If you picked up this book, you’re drawn to the possibility of changing the world in a big, lasting way.” Yes, many readers would put the down fast. But another group of readers will want to work through the book to find a way to make a change in the world.
In the pages that are the statement before the beginning, writer Rajiv Shah tells us very early in the book that he came from poor people. He tells us “More 3 and more, I thought the path to big change would be in politics…” (p. 12) He tells us that he saw that things in the world should be changed.
In the first chapter (Ask a Simple Question) comes with “What does it cost to immunized one child?” Then at page 25, “Money Alone Doesn’t Deliver Outcomes.” (19) At the end of the first chapter, we get a list of directions to do the work he sees for us. And he talks about the husband and wives have given millions of dollars from their business. The first chapter ends near the chapter: You must list to anyone with insight and ideas about how you can meet your goals and speak to everyone about your plans.”
We get a few parts of the book that are useful: “Jump First,” “Open Turnstiles,” “Make It Personal” and many more. Our recent President shows up many times in the book.
Chapter 8, “Pivot,” is the last chapter that tells there are the things that we need to do: “We are living in one of the most innovative moments in history: Every day, we hear of break though in sickness, technology, social understanding, and psychology, to name a few.
The first two words of the title make a clear statement of what we have to do when we are in trouble.
August 22, 2024
Empowering behind-the-scene stories of the Big Bets the author and his collaborators have made at the Gates Foundation, USAID, and Rockefeller Foundation. The first couple of chapters were particularly fascinating as they highlight some key, common challenges in the development work - lack of sustainability and long-lasting impact that addresses a root cause - and how he (and Bill Gates) approached the obstacles. I believe the essences and mindsets are widely applicable to the diverse complex challenges our world is facing.
As commonly seen in many large-scale development efforts, the most critical part is coordination among stakeholders including political figures, and the author's experiences also show this fact. In this sense, the detailed stories in the book were a bit hard to grasp for ordinary people who are not privileged to sit at the tables for such higher-level negotiation. It to some extent demotivates us because the stories implicitly indicate, although it is possible, that big bets and changes require connections, reputation, and power in the organizations.
As commonly seen in many large-scale development efforts, the most critical part is coordination among stakeholders including political figures, and the author's experiences also show this fact. In this sense, the detailed stories in the book were a bit hard to grasp for ordinary people who are not privileged to sit at the tables for such higher-level negotiation. It to some extent demotivates us because the stories implicitly indicate, although it is possible, that big bets and changes require connections, reputation, and power in the organizations.
December 25, 2025
He clearly has many interesting and impressive accomplishments, but wrote about them in a way that reminded me of a HS college application essay. Felt like an overview of his resume/things he would say in response to job interview questions (this was the situation, this is how I responded to overcome the obstacles, this is some general skill or takeaway I learned, this is what we achieved as a result). I was interested in how he actually navigated the different problems, & wish there had been more detail and specificity in his advice. To believe in large scale change, take risks, form alliances, and be willing to go in first are good takeaways, but not very groundbreaking or actionable. He did make a good case for big bets though.
April 25, 2024
A non-fiction book about working in the social sector to make important changes in the world.
I thought this would be a more "guidance focused" book based on the title, but it actually feels more like a memoir of the author.
I felt like the book was a bit unrealistic, but maybe it was a matter or editing out the uninteresting parts. However, it feels like the author jumps right from Med school to being an intern, and then jumps again to being the head of a giant government department. This seems unlikely and might make people feel bad about their own career paths.
I would recommend this book for people in the international development and policy fields, especially in the US.
I thought this would be a more "guidance focused" book based on the title, but it actually feels more like a memoir of the author.
I felt like the book was a bit unrealistic, but maybe it was a matter or editing out the uninteresting parts. However, it feels like the author jumps right from Med school to being an intern, and then jumps again to being the head of a giant government department. This seems unlikely and might make people feel bad about their own career paths.
I would recommend this book for people in the international development and policy fields, especially in the US.
April 21, 2025
Listened to this mostly on my morning walks before work. I enjoyed most the retelling of his first project with the Gates Foundation, Bill and Melinda’s quest to increase the vaccination rate of the world’s children. Understanding how they needed to bring so many people together, including the world’s most talented financial minds to create a new institution to fund this new kind of impact investment, was fascinating.
I mainly enjoyed how this book inspired me every morning. Working for an NGO with a “big bet” like Rajiv explains can be daunting to move through every day actions in service of a monumental goal. I loved the short advice at the end of every chapter.
I mainly enjoyed how this book inspired me every morning. Working for an NGO with a “big bet” like Rajiv explains can be daunting to move through every day actions in service of a monumental goal. I loved the short advice at the end of every chapter.
April 15, 2024
This book highlights examples of "big bets" made by the author. He did not do it alone by any means. But rather in the context of being a part of a larger, much better funded, organization. Many of the things accomplished could not have happened otherwise.
I don't dispute the premise of the book. Big accomplishments only occur when risks are taken and a leader steps forward with vision, communications and resources. Otherwise this book leaves me a little flat as I don't think many of the recommendations made can realistically be done. Too bad.
I don't dispute the premise of the book. Big accomplishments only occur when risks are taken and a leader steps forward with vision, communications and resources. Otherwise this book leaves me a little flat as I don't think many of the recommendations made can realistically be done. Too bad.
October 30, 2023
"Transformation requires not just the identification of opportunities, but also the ability to navigate the obstacles that stand in the way."
Shah argues that real change doesn't just happen because of a great idea but because of the ability to navigate the challenges and obstacles of implementing that idea. That takes a lot of grit, perseverance, and a willingness to adapt. It's a quote that speaks to the heart of what it takes to make a real impact.
Shah argues that real change doesn't just happen because of a great idea but because of the ability to navigate the challenges and obstacles of implementing that idea. That takes a lot of grit, perseverance, and a willingness to adapt. It's a quote that speaks to the heart of what it takes to make a real impact.
October 14, 2024
The book recounts Rajiv Shah’s ins and outs trying to change major problems in the world, starting from his beginnings, through his time at the Gates Foundation and culminating in his time in the Obama administration, and then through COVID-19. For me, it was kind of interesting because he talks about his time in catastrophe-stricken places like Haiti after the earthquake and Africa in the 2010’s with Ebola.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 13, 2025
3/5. This book was a lot like Trading Bases but on a different topic. Positive large-scale change is a topic that fascinates me, and Rajiv Shah has done a lot of good in the world on a global scale. This book is extremely interesting at points, and entirely too dull at others, but the dullness is required to break through to the interesting topics fully. I found the end part about Covid extremely well-written and couldn't get enough of it.
November 18, 2023
I know raj so this was esp enjoyable. I also love thinking about policy and how to pull levers of change. I appreciated the range of problems he discussed and the different methods you can use. I think it’s an inspiring book for those looking to make a big difference in the world - gifting to my daughter!
August 13, 2024
I wasn't sure what this book was. It wasn't quite a memoir (as the author wrote), but it wasn't quite a management book either (although the author tried to insert random "business-y" lessons here and there). Some of the stories were compelling (COVID-19, ebola) and others were a snooze. Felt like this book needed more cohesion and a defined identity.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2024
Interesting to learn the story of his career trajectory. Seems there is a gab in how he was able to attain some positions in his early career. Likely immense familial connections. I took what I could from the book. It helpful too know how executives market themselves and their work. I hope a big bet on regenerative ag isn't completely greenwashed.
December 22, 2023
Saviorism meets virtue signaling meets there are so many layers of wrong misleading and more in this book. The audacity with which he talks about foreign presidents, the fact that he discusses Inga in DRC as if it could be reduced to his intervention. I need to return this book.
February 5, 2024
I started this with some trepidation, fearing that it would be full of self promotion. I was peasantly surprised. Shah shared interesting stories of his projects, both successes and failures, and the lessons he learned from each. His optimism was refreshing. Well worth the read
March 17, 2024
Very interesting stories and ideas and written in a way that’s quick and engaging to read. Not life changing world rocking in the way some other non-fic I’ve read is, but definitely worth the read for anyone interested in social change/philanthropy.
May 30, 2024
I liked the stories about behind the scenes look at some big policy initiatives or events that have occurred over the last decade (Ebola, electrification in Africa, covid testing) and the take-away messages about how to move ideas forward.
June 3, 2024
I listed to the audiobook! It was a fantastic listen. Challenging and inspiring. The author provides his story while challenging the reader to make a difference in the world all the while providing a framework to execute.
December 15, 2024
Self-aggrandizing autobiography cloaked in airport self-help structure.
An interesting series of global policy discussions that would have been more engaging with a overarching narrative other than the “make a big bet” framework.
An interesting series of global policy discussions that would have been more engaging with a overarching narrative other than the “make a big bet” framework.
November 25, 2023
My experience with nonfiction books has shown me many such works have far too much filler to accompany the nuggets of wisdom.
I don't see that in Big Bets.
I don't see that in Big Bets.
May 17, 2024
It was fine? I wish I got more from it the. I did
September 18, 2024
I did not enjoy the way this book was formatted. Content would have been much better if it was formatted just as a memoir and not as a self help book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews