A scientist by profession and the 11th President of India, Dr. Kalam’s books have always been inspirational. He once said, “Let me define a leader. He must have vision and passion and not be afraid of any problem. Instead, he should know how to defeat it. Most importantly, he must work with integrity.” Here are 3 must-read books of Dr. Kalam that every leader should read in their lifetime.
1. Wings of Fire: An Autobiography
If you have not read any books written by Dr. Kalam, then Wings of Fire is the best one to start. As said in its title, Wings of Fire is the autobiography of Dr. Kalam, who from a humble background, went on to become a renowned scientist in Indian space research programs and the president of India. Although some of the chapters of this book are already available in the school textbooks, a cover to cover reading, that too as many times as possible, may bring considerable changes in the readers’ lives.
2. Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India
Published in 2002, ‘Ignited Minds: Unleashing the Power within India’ talks about some of the most tangled issues that confront India as a nation. In this book, Dr. Kalam, who always had wonderful dreams about the future, talks about his experiences and interactions with people from different spheres of society, including school and college students, eminent scientists and visionaries, saints and industrialists. As Khushwant Singh wrote, “Ignited Minds will fire the minds of young to whom it is primarily addressed.”
3. Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges
As per the reports from Goodreads, Turning Points: A Journey Through Challenges, has already been sold more than 3 lakhs copies. Why not, it is indeed an inspiring sequel of Wings of Fire. If Wings of Fire talked about his life till 1992, Turning Points is more about his life as the President of India. Unlike Wings of Fire, Dr. Kalam has not included adequate personnel anecdotes, instead, he brings in a heavy dose of his ‘India 2020 Vision.’ In the preface, Dr. Kalam writes, “Seeing the response generated by Wings of Fire I felt that if in the same way this book too could benefit a few people it would be well worth the effort.”