10 Timeless Books Recommended By Dr APJ Abdul Kalam

Dr APJ Abdul Kalam inspired people in a myriad of ways, and one of them was by encouraging people to read more.

He said that books were a chance to “view the past, use experience for the present, and dream for the future”.

Here are 10 books recommended by “The People’s President”.

1. Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar

One of the greatest literary and philosophical masterpieces, the couplets in this book by Thiruvalluvar, a profound thinker, act as useful guides to overcoming life’s obstacles.

2. Light from Many Lamps by Lillian Eichler Watson

The book is a collection of inspiring stories, essays and anecdotes from people around the world. Dr Kalam called this book his “guiding light”.

3. Empires of the Mind by Denis Waitley

This self-help book contains “personal strategies for self-leadership critical to getting ahead and staying ahead in a world accelerating in fast forward, where knowledge is the ultimate power”.

4. Everyday Greatness by Stephen R Covey

This book asks you, the reader, to make three important choices every day — where to expend your energy, your destination, and your principles.

5. Tiya: A Parrot’s Journey Home by Samarpan

This story about a parrot urges you to break the shackles of comfort and embrace life’s adventures.

6. Man the Unknown, by Alexis Carrel

Frequently quoted by Dr Kalam, this book talks about the importance of the mind and body working together. Its main aim is to encourage self-awareness before “mastering the material world”.

7. Code Name God, Mani Bhaumik

Through his journey from a small town in Bengal to Bel Air and India’s freedom struggle, the author, a physicist, tries to answer questions about spirituality and science.

8. The Power by Rhonda Byrne

This self-help book speaks about how one can achieve success by believing in themself. The author speaks about the importance of emotions in a person’s life and shares methods to attract positivity.

9. Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

A collection of 103 poems by one of India’s greatest poets, it brought the author a Nobel Prize for Literature. “To read one line of Rabindranath everyday is to forget all the troubles of the world.”

10. The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

This is a collection of 23 poetic essays and is the authors best known book, which took over 11 years to complete.