Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsKalam-Raju Stent
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on 8 November 2021
Every common man who by his sheer grit and hard work achieves success should share his story with the rest for they may find inspiration and strength to go on, in his story. The 'Wings of Fire' is one such autobiography by visionary scientist Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, who from very humble beginnings rose to be the President of India. The book is full of insights, personal moments and life experiences of Dr. Kalam. It gives us an understanding on his journey of success.
Dr. Kalam by narrating his life journey evokes the reader to identify with one’s inner fire and potential, for he was of the firm belief that each one of us was born with the strength and potential to make a tangible change in the world. How he inspired himself to achieve dreams and how he went about accomplishing so much is what the book captures nicely.
The book recollects many anecdotes and stories from childhood, his time at school and college. The time spent at the Langley Research Center, NASA and Wallops Flight Facility gets a lot of attention.
Personal tragedies have not been left out. The time when he lost his father and how he felt when conferred with many awards like the Padma Bhushan have been written in much detail.
The second half of the book deals with Dr Kalam, the scientist who made a significant contribution in developing the countries guided missile program, a pioneering effort for the security of the nation. It's not with reason that he was nicknamed as the 'Missile Man of India'. The book also contains 24 photographs at various stages of his life.
Authored by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam and Mr. Arun Tiwari, the 180 page book 'The Wings of Fire' was first published in the year 2000. Mr Tiwari is a well-known missile scientist who has worked with Dr. Kalam. Having become a bestseller, the book has even been translated into thirteen languages, which includes Chinese and French.
About the Author
Dr APJ Abdul Kalam from 2002 to 2007 served as the 11th President of India. Greatly admired all over India, he was a scientist by profession, who played a leading role in developing the country's missile program. From humble roots in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, Dr Kalam in an inspirational autobiography 'The Wings of Fire' traces the rise and the mark he made in life.
Mr. Arun Tiwari, a scientist, was a colleague of Dr Kalam.
Review
If you want to leave your footprints in the sands of time, do not drag your feet." These are one of the most enduring lines that still lay etched in my memory. I have read this book long back, and I don't remember when, but surely the essence remains with me even today. This book is best suited for reading for the teenagers, to dream and to dare. It shows, how a person from the modest background ends up in being the First Citizen of a nation of one billion. It shows how a scientist, devoid of basic tools, helps in culmination of a program which other love to loathe and deride. It shows a man, who lived his life in terms of his principles and nothing else. It shows how a common man, like you and me, can achieve when he can dream. And finally, it teaches how to dream --Tarun Mitra on Apr 26, 2012
This is the most inspiring book I have ever read. Great salute to the man for his contribution to Indian Rocketry.I would like to recall few lines from book. 1. What you imagine, is what you transpire.What you believe is what you achieve. 2. A good plan executed violently right now is far better than a perfect plan executed next week. 3. Once your mind stretches to a new level it never goes back to its original dimension. 4. Adversities always presents opportunities for introspection. and the most inspiring line is.. "We all are born with divine fire in us.Our efforts should be to give wings --Devendra on Aug 26, 2012
After reading this book i realized the value of APJ abdul Kalam's dedication. Don't think about money to purchase this book to read a autobiography a spokesman,a president,a DRDO chief scientist,a ISRO chief scientist, a Bramohse supersonic missile innovator... --Naveen A H on Sep 5, 2011
About the Author
Arun Tiwari rose to fame as an author with his book Wings of Fire, which he co-authored with Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. He's a missile scientist who worked under the guidance of Kalam. Tiwari contributed to the design of the missiles, Akash and Trishul and is the first Indian who designed a titanium bottle to power missiles. Apart from this, Tiwari has been the director at the Cardiovascular Technology Institute in Hyderabad. He received the Defense Technology Spin-Off Award for developing the Kalam-Raju stent.
