Any governor of the Reserve Bank of India must walk a tightrope. He must seem to be independent - but without offending the government of the day. He is not equal to the government but must convince others that he is not subordinate to it either. And if he can do all this with the right policies in place, he may leave behind a career as illustrious as that of Dr Y.V. Reddy, Governor of the RBI from 2003 to 2008, a time of high growth, low inflation, an appreciated rupee and a robust banking system that withstood the global financial crisis.

Advice and Dissent throws light on the lessons of Dr Reddy's fascinating professional life, as on the politics of his years in public service.