Customer Reviews

Wings of Fire: An Autobiography of APJ Abdul Kalam

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I loved the book. It was a balance of the details of the actual technological, political challenge India faced to grow in its rocket/space program. Was surprised to find details of Dr.Kalam's participative management practices and its success in the program.

Dr.Kalam is an inspiration and role model for anyone who can focus clearly and believe in goals. This book shows his spiritual side with Islamic quotes, his poetic sites with his own quotes and poems and his love for science and his country - India.

Was surprised to learn of India's pre-British king, Tipu Sultan's efforts with flying vehicles and missiles, 250 yrs ago and his statue adorning the walls of American Nasa today.

I was most impressed by the details of India's plans to use its rocket and nuclear capabilities for purely peaceful purposes. It would have helped if this list was elaborated more for us to understand if India's efforts were really being implemented in peaceful directions today.

A must read for anyone interested in understanding a scientists' dream come true or for anyone who wants to understand the difference between science and technology in implementation.

Though I started reading it to understand India's technology efforts, I closed feeling that true technologists are beyond any country, region or religion.

Kalam's life portrays, what zest for life is all about.

His Humble beginnings, hard work, persistance, and above all a passion for life and all things that are possible in it, are all well described in the book.

Being an autobiography of Kalam, the book invariably stands as a biography of Indian space science as well. Very lucid accounts of the several interesting projects such as SLV3, Agni and all, gives great insight into all aspects of science and space research in a developing country.

The book is very well laid out into different phases of his life.

After reading the book, It makes you feel that you know the man more intimately, His humility strikes you down.

A very refreshing book , from a refreshing person, giving a glimpse of what the power of positive thinking can help you do, given the shortcomings of the beaurocracy in a country such as India.

Beating all odds, the man reached out to the stars, and has become one.

The book is an extremely well written autobiography of a well known Indian scientist/science administrator. The narration is simple and direct and shows how a boy from a humble background from a remote corner of India could dream of aeronautics, rocketry and missiles and make it to the top. The book also reveals the humanist in Kalam and how he was able to motivate and enthuse many young and old scientists to develop advanced systems and controls. His philosophy for managing people which comes through in the book is indeed full of wisdom and essential reading for today's managers and leaders.

This is the story of a man who came from a remote provincial small town in India, and went on to become its top technocrat before his ascent to the highest office in the land. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam is an intensely humble, spiritual and brilliantly insightful man. Through sheer grit, determination, hardwork, and a brilliant mind, he transformed the Indian defense research establishment, and went to hold some of the most sensitive jobs in government. In the process he made his mark as a visionary and project manager par excellence, while leading the development of the Integrated Guided Missile Program that resulted in the development of all modern Indian missiles. Developing and mastering indigenous technologies that were denied from the West, Dr. Kalam showed that even in the depth of despair, there is hope, and tremendous technological achievements are indeed possible with the right mix of talent, hard work, fair play, and motivation. Dr. Kalam is a genuine Indian hero -- and his election as the President of India rightfully deserved.

This book as in an excellent account of how a modest man and brilliant rocket scientist, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, did his part in contributing to India's self reliance in rocket technology and indegenous missile programs. This book is quite an inspiration to anyone who has any pessimism about India's potential to be self reliant in any field. A must must read for every Indian, especially engineers in technology.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam's 'Wings of fire' is more about the management of a gigantic technological project than the technology itself. It is an insightful book. Dr. Kalam's comments about Indian Science establishments are definitely worth reading. What I enjoyed most was the few anecdotes describing the mission leaders' compassionate handling of missile technologists.

Without attempting to do so, Dr. Kalam's book also puts India's religious unity in a proper perspective. Those who have been persuaded into thinking that India is a communally divided society will get a fresh view of the real picture and I am certain that the picture holds a lesson for anyone who wishes to know what religious tolerance really means.

The most amazing thing about Dr. Kalam's life is that he comes from a family of almost uneducated although intelligent Muslims, and has had a rich inter-cultural background. In the end, you almost get the feeling that only Dr. Kalam could have led India's rocketry program that started from scratch and developed into a massive self-sufficient technological enterprise with implications in the area of country's self-defence, scientific progress, and ultimately, a hope for a more peaceful existence. A must read.

Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam's autobiography 'Wings of Fire'is one of the most inspiring autobiographies for me.The book shows how a small boy from an isolated island,Rameshwaram,in India turns his dreams into thoughts and his thoughts into action.This book is a MUST for every person-Indian or non-Indian.Every page of this book is interesting.The language is also very easy and simple to read.This book is great!

This book sums up how APJ Abdul Kalam went through various stages
in his life starting from his childhood in Rameswaram to the stage prior to
his ascent to Rashtrapathi Bhavan in Delhi.
It depicts various projects he was associated with in the areas of aeronautics,
space research and defence development like Hovercraft Nandi, RATO, SLV and
Missile program and both the agonizing moments and the ecstatic moments
he went through in that process.

It conveys the message how a person's patriotic commitment to the development of
indigenous technology motivates a person to spend long hours and sustain hurdles,
despite being perturbed by the deaths of close family members one by one.

It proves the point that how motivating mentors/managers/leaders like
Dr.Vikram Sarabhai and Dr.Brahm Prakash can mold a young engineer like APJ
into a highly accomplished technocrat and make him bounce back to action
with a redoubled enthusiasm after heart-breaking personal and career setbacks.

It talks about how APJ was an effective project manager who projected his team
members more to the higher hierarchy than himself.

It mentions his elder sister's love toward him who mortgaged her gold ornaments
to pay for his admission to Madras Institute of Technology(MIT) which is so
typical for any middle-class Indian.

The following consoling words by Swami Sivananda to APJ after he fails in his
first job interview in Indian Air Force are notable:
" Accept your destiny and go ahead with your life. You are not destined to become
an Air Force pilot. What you are destined to become is not revealed now
but it is predetermined. Forget this failure, as it was essential
to lead you to your destined path. Search instead, for the true purpose of
your existence. Become one with yourself, my son !
Surrender yourself to the wish of God"

Those words proved right as his life progressed.

Credit goes to Arun Tiwari who asked APJ about his memoirs
and helped him in coming out with this book.

This is a book worth gifting to any child or youth ( 12 and above ) to make them
gain a good perspective on the evolution of India into a technological power.

Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a true Indian to the core. I am a great fan of him not because he build missiles and nukes to India. I am a fan because he a humanitarian, secular, democratic, simple and inspirational. He truly gave India a position and voice of 1 billion people to be heard which was otherwise neglected by the west even though it is a great secular peaceful democracy. He gave the country an inspiration on how to dream and realize the dreams. In my father's book on New millennium dedicated to Mother Theresa, my father wrote a verse on him in 1999. Mr. Kalam was not a President then. But why was he in father's mind to pen a verse on him? Readers please think and read his book you will find. I am publishing the verse below for all readers to read.

133. To translate a dream
Into life's real stream
Is not only a feat mental
But it becomes monumental
Said so Dr.Abdul Kalam
I offer him my Salaam.

Eventhogh I am against the nukes and missiles I take tremendous pride in India's achievement in science and technology and as a global power that is what India today. By denying a permanent UN security council seat the west will be committing another mistake of neglecting 1.2 billion people of earth. I request the readers to please read my book on Amazon.com "The Big Bang Hijacked" which is anti nukes but supports Permanent membership in UN security council for India, Japan and Germany. The ISBN is 1-4116-1499-2.

I also wish India great success in their moon mission and hope it will lead the globe in peaceful exploration of outerspace for the benifit of mankind.

Narendra Sajja
Toronto.

Narendra Sajja

The book is written in a simple and elegant style which helps readers have an easy understanding. It was very motivational and I recommend this book to almost all my friends who ike reading. It makes a wonderful gift. A MUST READ FOR ALL.