Book Review : Indomitable Spirit A P J Abdul Kalam

India How important is this five letter word for you which start with the letter I? For our Ex President Abdul Kalam, it means the world. In this unique book which talks relentlessly about India, all his emotions for the nation are flowing unabated. If a reader is interested in taking a plunge into issues in our country and the bottlenecks in the way of growth and development, this book is just unputdownable. It took me just four odd days with an average of an hour each day to run through this book. The book is a blend of personal life experiences of President and the image of our nation through the minds of common man. We are a nation of one billion plus people flushed with natural and human resources.The only thing which is keeping us devoid of the developed nation status is spirit. As already said in his other book Ignited minds, he reiterates that the youths of India should shoulder the responsibility to make our economy resilient and self reliant. We have all the ingredients for making it great and buoyant but the most important thing spirit, which adds more taste and gives a perfect shape, is missing. The youths of India should wake up to this emergency call and realize their responsibility as they comprise of more than half the population (~540 million) and if they take it upon them to speed up the radar, there can be no stopping to India. Throughout the book, Missile man has emphasized on spirit and focused on many burning issues like education, poverty, infrastructure, self reliance and defense. Around 350 million people in our country are illiterate and if each one of us takes this oath to impart basic knowledge to at least one person in our entire life, sooner or later the illiteracy percentage will become negligible. In a nation of one billion plus people, more than 260 million reside below the poverty line and if, literacy rate can be improved, this issue will be automatically resolved. Furthermore, he has also given due importance to gender discrimination which is very much prevalent in our country despite the fact that 48% of our population comprises of fairer sex. The author has also paid impetus on creating awareness among youths for literature and our culture which is perishing with time. I completely endorse the views of Kalam as the present day younger generation is moving towards west at a great pace and time is not far when it would become difficult to find any remnants of our culture and tradition. The title of the book goes on to speak that what India needs is spirit. We have all the resources to unfurl ourselves as a developed nation. The only thing which is missing is indomitable spirit. There are various instances and life time experiences shared by the author which he had while interaction with school kids which goes on to state that younger generation is keen to see a new self reliant and growing India. It is not that we have not made any progress in this area but we need to further rev up. The youths have in them to think out of the box and they can make it great for our nation. No nation is great; it is the people of the nation which makes it great.

The book is an immense source of inspiration and it can send your adrenaline rushing. I reiterate that unputdownable is the right phrase for the book. If I had to take one line from the book, it would be For those who do ill to you, the best punishment is returning good to them. Thirukkural.

Book Summary: Mission India : A Vision For Indian Youth by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Book Summary: Mission India : A Vision For Indian Youth by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Each and every Indian can make a difference, especially the nations youth Mission India is a road map for the youth of today who will shape the India of tomorrow. The mission is to transform India into a developed nation and one of the worlds top five economic powers by the year 2020. Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam and Y.S. Rajan examine Indias strengths and weaknesses to show how this goal is not an unrealistic one. This inspirational book introduces children to the unknown success stories of India and discusses the countrys problems at the beginning of the twenty-first century. It looks at different aspects of national life, and clearly explains the achievements and challenges in each of these areas. It also discusses the ways in which todays youth can make a difference to the country. Based on the central tenets of the runaway best-seller, India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium, this book seeks to inspire readers with

the crucial sense of purpose which is essential for developing a strong and prosperous nation.

Book Summary: Ignited Minds: Unleashing The Power Within India by A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Book Summary: Ignited Minds: Unleashing The Power Within India When A.P.J. Abdul Kalam wrote India 2020: A Vision for the New Millennium with Y.S. Rajan in 1998, little did they expect the magnitude of the response they would get. The idea that India could actually be a developed nation in a short time rather than remain condemned to a subsistence diet of marginal improvements and promises struck a chord among readers. The book continues to be a bestseller. Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power Within India goes the logical next step and examines why, given all our skills, resources and talents, we, so obviously capable of being the best, settle so often for the worst. What is it that we as a nation are missing? For at the heart of Ignited Minds is an irresistible premise: the people of a nation have the

power, by dint of hard work, to realize their dream of a truly good life. Kalam offers no formulaic prescription in Ignited Minds, Instead, he takes up different issues and themes that struck him on his pilgrimage around the country as he met thousands of school children, teachers, scientists and saints and seers in the course of two years: the necessity for a patriotism that transcends religion and politics; for role models who point out the path to take; and for confidence in ourselves and in our strengths. Who was he to write on so large a theme, he wondered as he started writing this book. But at the end, Kalams humility notwithstanding, this may well prove to be the book that motivates us to get back on the winning track and unleash the energy within a nation that hasnt allowed itself full rein.