Wings of Fire: An Autobiography

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.

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.

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.

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.