A NOTE BY THE APJ ABDUL KALAM

when i first began the reminiscences that have gone into this book, i was uncertain which of my memories were wrote narrating. my childhood is prious to me , but would it be of any revelance to anyone else ?

was it worth the reader's while, I wondered, to know of the trials and triumphs of a small twon boy ? of the straitened circumstances of my schooldays and the odd jobs i worked to pay my school fees? of how my decision to turn vegetarian was partly due to my school financial constraints as a college student? of frustrated attempt to become a pilot in the Indian air force? or how i become a rocket engineer instead of the civil servant my father dreamed i would be? why would any of this be of interest to the general reader, i i wondered.

Finally, i was convinced that my story was relevant, if not for anything else but because it tells the story of an individual destiny, which cannot be seen in isolation from the social matrix in which it is embedded. i decided to describe the individuals who had had a profound influence on my life this book is the way of thanks therefore, to my parents and immediately family, and to teachers and mentors i was fortunate to have had as a young student And in my professional life .

this story is not just an account of my personal triumphs and tribulations. it tells of the success and setbacks of the scientific establishment in modern India, struggling to establish itself on the technological forefront. it is a tribute to the unflagging enthusiasm and capabilities of my young colleagues, who helped realise our collective dreams. the saga of India's search for the scientific self-sufficiency and technology competence is a parable for our times.

we are all bron with a divine fire in us . our effort should be to give wings of fire

may God bless you!

APJ ABDUL KALAM

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