Book review: My Journey, by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam

Dr. APK Abdul Kalam wore several feathers in his cap. A brilliant scientist, former President of India, a devout patriot. In addition, he was also a poet and a prolific writer. What endears his work to many is his style of presenting incidents from his life in a very simple and easy-to-understand manner.

In "My Journey" Dr. Kalam takes the reader through some major aspects of his life from his childhood to his journey as the President of India. Through his words, we see the story of the child born in the state of Tamil Nadu in pre-independent India. We get a glimpse of an era that was filled with simplicity, sans the complications of the modern world. Dr. Kalam takes us through the lives of people in a small town. Some of these people helped him who he was. From childhood in a small town, to heading to the city for higher studies, one encounters a lot of difficulties. However, the essence of human spirit is indomitable. A little support from teachers, friends, mentors goes a long way in regaining lost confidence.

Though he faced several challenges and dark moments in his career, nowhere does he glamorize or romanticize those. This makes the book truly inspiring. In an era where people tend to sympathize with the struggles of someone else, the line between pity and inspiration is often dimmed. It is important for us to learn the lessons from the trials of the great and this book manages to stir that precise emotion in me.

In today's day and age we need more people like Dr. Kalam who have it in them to inspire the masses by their actions more than their words, who have it in them to rise after every fall, and who can be looked up at. His work is a legacy that will be remembered far and wide, and for eons to come.