BOOK REVIEW:WINGS OF FIRE

By Sumedha Arora XB8/BT/12 Batch B8

The book Wings of Fire is an autobiographical account of the former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. This is a story of the triumphs and tribulations in Dr. Kalams life as well as the saga of Indias struggle for technological self-sufficiency and defensive autonomy. It is an account of the actual technological and political challenge India faced to grow in its rocket/space program. This is a highly engaging and inspiring account of the life of the Missile Man of India. It provides a panaromic view of the space and missile technology arena of the country. The book delves into the scientific part of Kalams narrative seamlessly without requiring scientific know how on the part of the reader. The core of the book is human and connects with the readers hearts and inspires them to give wings to the divine fire within them and fill the world with the glow of its goodness. The autobiography is divided into 4 sections - Orientation, Creation, Propitiation and Contemplation. The first part Orientation covers the first 32 years of Kalams life from 19311963. It is perhaps the most engaging part of the book for young readers as it covers the early part of his life - his childhood experiences, adolescence and the start of his career in rocketry. Kalam poignantly recounts his childhood in Rameswaram in erstwhile Madras and describes the people who shaped his life. His education through the Ramseswaram Elementary school and Schwartz High School (in Ramanathapuram) to St. Joseph's

College, Trichy and finally to the Madras Institute of Technology (MIT), Madras is beautifully described in the book. This is followed by his unsuccesful attempt at the interview for the Indian Air Force. However Kalam overcomes his disappointment at failure and joins DTD&P(Directorate of Technical Development & Production) which paved the way for his joining of INCOSPAR(Indian Committee for Space Research).The first part ends with Kalam leaving for the US for a 6 month training at the NASA work centres there. The Creation phase describes the next 17 years of Kalams life (1963-1980) and is the longest phase in the book. It mainly describes Dr. Kalams endeavours which culminated in the successful launch of SLV-3 thus propelling India into the space age by making it the fifth country in the world to achieve satellite launching capabilities. It depicts his struggle at ISRO going from one-engineer-amongst-many to the successful project director of SLV. At every point Kalam never fails to thank all the people both big and small involved in the projects undertaken. The description of Dr. Vikram Sarabhai , the early visionary of space technology in India, is very apt. Dr. Sarabhai is painted as a great mentor, visionary, scientist and human being. The need to overcome failures to achieve success is greatly emphasised in this part. Despite the disheartening failure of the first SLV launch, Kalam is retained as project head for SLV and brings pride to the nation with the launch of SLV-3.Near the end of this phase the Padma Bhushan is conferred to Kalam and the Padma Vibhushan to Prof. Dhawan. Kalams first brush with fame brought him adulation and also inevitably envy and professional rivalries.There are several interesting incidents, observations, poems and personal details of

Kalams family interwoven with the technical details make for an interesting read. The Propitiation phase covers the defence stage of Kalams career and starts with his transfer to DRDL as Director thus ending his 18 years at ISRO. Kalam transforms the insipid mood at DRDL and breathes life into the institution. Kalam encouraged openness in scientific matters and changed the management practices at the organisation.The methodology adopted by Kalam in the DRDO was shaped by his earlier experiences at the ISRO under Prof. Dhawan and Prof. Sarabhai.This phase also provides and insight for management professionals into healthy management practices. This phase was marked by the launch of Agni, Prithvi, Trishul, Akash and Nag the stalwarts of Indias missile program. The last and final phase of Contemplation is marked by the various awards received by Kalam for his contribution to the countrys missile program. Kalam introspects and discusses various ideas and thoughts from his life. One of the most striking quotes from this part is Technology, unlike science, is a group activity. It is not based on individual intelligence, but on the interacting intelligence of many. Kalam also discusses Technology Management quite concisely in this part. Kalam ends the books with an earnest hope and prayer for the country to be strong, prosperous and developed.And also gives a message to the future generation.

One of the best parts of the book is the various quotes given by Dr. Kalam which are a pleasure to read. These quotes are from various poems collected by him over the years as well as his own poetry. Throughout the book, Dr. Kalam discusses spirituality in conjugation with science. His deep belief in God as well as science comes across in his writing naturally. The book successfully connects with the reader as it does not aim to show Kalam as perfect, but rather as a human who had his share of failures before success reached him. The book does not unnecessarily eulogise about Kalams life and rather inspires us to strive and work hard towards our goals. This is a very invigorating book, especially for the youth and is a must read for every Indian.