Ignited Minds
Chapters The book is organised into nine chapters, dealing with various issues. These chapters are: 1. The Dreams and the Message 2. Give Us a Role Model 3. Visionary Teachers and Scientists 4. Learning from Saints and Seers 5. Patriotism beyond Politics and Religion 6. The Knowledge Society 7. Getting the Forces Together 8. Building a New State 9. To my Countrymen 10. conclusion 11. Bibliography
The book begins with a sad note. On 30 September 2001, Kalam’s helicopter, while on its way from Ranchi, Jharkhand state, India to Bokaro crashed, but all aboard miraculously survived. He was administered that night a tranquilizer, and he recalls having seen a very vivid dream. He writes in the book that he saw himself in a desert “with miles of sand all around,’ and there stood five men, namely, Emperor Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein , Abraham Lincoln and Caliph Omar. Kalam felt dwarfed by their presence, and recounts the words of these great personalities.
The next chapter emphasises the importance of mother, father and elementary school teachers as role models.
The third chapter tells that "Vision ignites the minds", and talks about the modern Indian visionaries like J. R. D. Tata, Vikram Sarabhai, Satish Dhawan and Dr. Verghese Kurien.
The next section of the book deals with the spiritual heritage of the Indian nation and talks about developing a model of development based on India's inherent strengths.
The fifth chapter of the book exhorts the Indians, constituting a nation of one billion people "with multitude faiths and ideologies" to develop a "national vision" and amalgamate into one "national forum."
The next chapter begins with a Thirukkural, which states: "Wisdom is a weapon to ward off destruction; It is an inner fortress which enemies cannot destroy". This chapter reminds the readers that Ancient India was a "knowledge society that contributed a great deal to civilization."
The caption line of the seventh chapter is followed by the following inspiring words of Abraham Lincoln: "Determine that things can and shall be done, and then we shall find the way."
The eighth chapter exhorts for a change in the mindset and to take pragmatic risks, which shall result into success.
The ninth and the last chapter, with the caption line of "To My Countrymen" begins with few words of the Nobel laureate, Rabindranath Tagore - "let my country awake."
The book ends with a "Song of Youth", with these opening words: "As a young citizen of India , armed with technology and love for my nation, I realize, a small aim is a crime."
"What is that we are missing? What is it that needs to be corrected? There seems to be an attitude problem, as if we cannot shake ourselves out of a mindset of limited achievement." "Our problem lies in our approach towards them."
"Great men use religion to make new friends, small men use it as a fighting tool."
„Ignited Minds‟ written by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam is a book of hope and determination. Dr Kalam, the ex-president of India, has been one of the most distinguished Indian scientists. He held various positions in ISRO, DRDO and became the principal scientific advisor to the Government of India, after which he took voluntary retirement from his duties to “achieve something greater for the country”. He has received honorary doctorates from thirty universities and is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan and Bharat Ratna. His previous works include, an autobiography named Wings of Fire and Vision 2020, a book which sets the vision for India to grow into a developed country till the year 2020. Despite all these honours and accolades, Dr. Kalam has been modest and humble personality, as is evident from his works and interactions. After being relieved from his duties with the government of India, he taught as a professor in Anna University for a while. He realised that the power of India lies in its youth and children and hence decided to meet children from schools in various parts of the nation and has a goal of meeting 100,000 students across the country. The book Ignited Minds talks about his experience of meeting the numerous students from all over the country and how during the course of interaction with the people from the entire nation made him realise the potential of India to be a developed country. The title of the book is very powerful and entices one to dig the book. As one goes through the book, with each chapter he feels motivated to jump to another. The book starts with his dream where he meets the five greatest beings on earth and how their conversation inspired him to think big and spread the message to all. Here he also emphasises the need to set up a goal for the nation and how this goal can help it become not only developed but also create a globalised platform for the entire world. He urges everyone to have a dream and emphasises on the power of dream to be the greatest on earth. He describes how each one possess magnetic capabilities like that of earth and hence our reality becomes aligned to what we aspire to be. His emphasis on the role of parents and teachers in nurturing the younger generation who are a nation‟s true wealth is noteworthy. In the book, he also describes his stint with science and technology and the great visionaries and scientists of India who have a great hand in shaping technological growth. By their examples, he
underlines the need for having a vision and also structuring a path for the same. This fact not only is important for an individual but also for the nation. A nation loses the power to be strong despite its wealth if it lacks vision. He details out the various encounters he had with the saints and prophets around the country and how spirituality and science are interrelated. The awe which was created in him after meeting these great sages and how the mind and body interact to create a vital force has been delineated. Getting inspired by their thoughts he stressed on the fact that there is a higher force within us that transcends the limitations of the physical world and hence we should aspire to realise it. Reiterating the need of having a vision throughout his book, he says that India is a country which stands far below the potential that it has and hence we should exploit the strength, the energy of the youth and the creativity to achieve a higher goal coming out of narrow thinking and smaller affairs. He urges every citizen of our country to enter into a mission mode and by integrating the vast knowledge and acquiring a happy balance to achieve the mission of turning the country into a developed nation soon. Throughout his book, Dr. Kalam has insisted on the power of imagination and the power of dream. He further emphasises this point by asking the youth to look for opportunities in challenges thrown at them and be responsible for their actions irrespective of the result. The most inspiring lines from the book quoted as such are, “When something is at stake, the human mind gets ignited.” “Ignite your minds and think big.” The book is not only an inspiration to think big but is laden with the feeling of patriotism and urges one to consider nation and its vision to be bigger than an individual, to reach to the higher self within and to keep aspirations high because “we are, what we think we are”. The book is summarised in the end with a wonderful discussion between two kids in a mother‟s womb named “ego” and “spirit”, which reiterates the fact that we should look beyond what our eyes can see. The book is capable of igniting a fire in the mind of anyone who reads and understands it. With presenting real life examples and his own experiences, Dr. Kalam has shown us various facets of life and the country, which makes it more inspirational. He has already been a role model to many and this book truly makes one picture him as a true patriot and a man of wisdom. Since he has been a part of different fields of work, he rightfully describes the need to integrate them for a greater national cause. This book is a must read for anyone who wants to have a peek into the great potential our country has, the diversity which makes it so rich, the great potential which is hidden in the various corners of the country and how the realisation of one‟s higher self within us and the faith in our dreams can
take us to places. With real life experiences described in a very simple language, Dr. Kalam has again done a wonderful job in creating ripples and disturbance in the minds of the youth which has been dormant for a while now. We always see India through the eyes of media channels, newspapers and other such mediums. But there are very few people who give us the real image of what our India is. I am talking about the people who have contributed to the nation. The person who has done something for the country is capable of speaking about the country. You and me, have done nothing but like commenting on each and every thing. One such person, who is unlike us, have bought the change in the country is APJ Abdul Kalam, our former President. The questions that we ask to our current Prime Minister, never gets answered as our PM loves to keep his lips sealed rather than moving them for speaking something. But, I am too pleased and happy that a person like APJ Abdul Kalam keeps on answering all those questions through his books which gets published time to time whenever the youth starts getting impatient about their concern for the nation. I have read one such book that Abdul Kalam published in 2002- “Ignited Minds”. The book also has a tagline- “unleashing the power within India”. In this book, Kalam has kept on focusing on the bestial power that we have within India. He tells us how there are several people in our country itself who can bring a lot of change to the nation but they’ll have to get ignited. Ignited for the benefit of the nation. Ignited for the improvement of not their own self, but for the whole group they are working with. Ignited to prove the world that we are competitive. Ignited for working with the people who are ambitious like them. Ignited for working with the people from different field, because then a new creativity is launched which bring changes. Similarly, Abdul Kalam has told us how we can ignite
our minds as it’s already ignited, we just need to start doing for the nation now rather than for ourselves.
Initially in the book, the way Abdul Kalam has started giving the speech on values and motivation generates interest of turning pages as fast as we can. Interaction with different students from different colleges, regions and religions is indeed a special part of the book as Kalam has mentioned some of the unique questions asked by them and also the answers that he gave. The chapter on who our Role model should be can make our stupid youths realize that it’s not Salman Khan who need to be modeled but some great visionaries. “Visionary Teachers and Scientists” chapter gives a brief note of how some teachers of Kalam made him learn good morals and values that has helped him reach to where he is. And the works of scientists who were his colleagues is described wonderfully to make us understand how they strove for bringing some positive change in country’s situation. The messages that Kalam’s teachers and scientists gave him can change the whole perspective of our own life. Those messages should be compacted as quotes and released separately, seriously. Kalam has made it sure that we also understand the power of meeting different people of different kind from different regions through traveling can make us realize how small we are, and how more do we need to moot ourselves up. In the same context, the spiritual messages that he mentioned in the book that were given to him by different spiritual leaders and saints are again another masterpieces of this book. How God and Spirit is being ignored in today’s institute is discussed. “Patriotism beyond Politics and Religions”- the name of the
chapter itself says how necessary this talk is. So let’s not speak about this. The secrets to success that Azim Premji, Narayan Murthy, Amul’s founder and other entrepreneurs gave is a solid reason why one should read this book, bot once but again and again. The example of true events and personal experiences of Kalam in the book gives a special effect while reading as we keep on imagining Kalam visiting people and thus, inspiring them. The summary after every chapter is also a good idea to give the whole context of the chapter in few lines. The last two chapters including Epilogue is enormously beautiful. The book ends on a very motivational and intellectual note. I would still rate Kalam’s “Wings of Fire” and “Turning Points” above this- “Ignited Minds” but still this book is no less. Please get this one too. APJ Abdul Kalam is the writer, what more review do you need to get it confirmed that you are spending money on the right product? And thanks to Yusuf who gave this book to me for reading even when I didn’t have any idea that he has a book by Kalam with him.
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 best-seller. 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, Kalam's 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 hasn't allowed itself full rein. APJ Abdul Kalam is An Inspirational Writer Who Dares People to Dream Who has Effectively Used Writing to Improve the Lives of People in India During the past two decades, India has strived hard in to become a developed nation and has been highly successful. Soon the „Developing Nation‟ label will be peeled off and the new one of „Developed
Nation‟ shall be donned. Many writers have played a crucial role in this major transformation and one such inspiring writer who has brought about major changes in the perspective of Indian youth is President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. When selected as the President of India a couple of years ago, Dr. Kalam declared that his mission was to meet and “ignite” at least 100,000 students so they dream of a new India filled with peace and development. It is in the Indian youth that Dr. Kalam has placed his confidence and this section is no minority, consisting of 32.25% of the current overall Indian population. Dr. Kalam is no stranger to hardship and dreaming big. A scientist from a poverty stricken boatman‟s family, Dr. Kalam dreamt as he widened his knowledge in various areas. He thought and converted his thoughts into actions. His motivating words, "Dream, dream, dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts and then transform them into action" imbibe confidence in the Indian youth, who are the future of the country. Dr.Kalam‟s explains his long-term goal for the nation as, transformation “into a developed nation in 20 years' time". His confidence makes many Indians feel it is possible - this positive mind set which is the first pre-requisite for any success. Dr. Kalam further explains that by transformation, he means "A poverty-free nation, a prosperous nation, and a healthy nation with value systems (in which) our children will live happily." These words of his vividly show the picture of India he has in mind. Not just a technically and economically progressive nation, but one where one‟s identity is not lost and future generations are secure in themselves. The recent spurt in sales of his books, „Autobiography‟ and „Wings of Fire‟, proves that more and more Indians are being pulled into the inspiring life and words of Dr. Kalam. These contributions enumerated above, are only his recent ones. Dr. Kalam has been contributing to India since the early 1980‟s as a „Missile Genius‟ (as he is frequently addressed in the known circle). The scientific advancements India has made since then has only improved India‟s image in the eyes of the other countries, planting faith in Indians who have great dreams for their country.
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