Classic Books

Newton is widely considered in history as the most influential scientist. He is best known for his discovery of gravity and the subsequent laws of motion that he meticulously theorized. School children around the world are acquainted with the popular legend about an apple falling on Newton’s head which led to the famous discovery of gravity. However that colourful story and the preoccupation with Newton’s work in physics tends to make people forget Newton’s work in other fields. This biography captures both the personal life as well as the career of Isaac Newton devoted entirely to scientific pursuit. It presents a complete picture of Newton the man, the scientist, the philosopher, the theologian and the public figure. Newton was very religious, and intently studied the Bible and even occult practices and theories. Newton wrote at length on these subjects, which fascinated him so much that he spent more time writing about them than he did science and mathematics. This biography is an interesting journey through his life shedding light on a personality which towers the scientific world to this day.

The Life and Times of Jaipal Singh Munda’ is a biography of the legendary leader, hockey genius—who as the Captain, led India Hockey Team to Gold at Amsterdam Summer Olympics, 1928, a voice of the voiceless Adivasis, a Member of the Constituent Assembly and a brain to Fifth Schedule and Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, an excellent orator and man who conceived to rescue ‘Jharkhand’ from the womb of history.
An M.A. (Economics) from Oxford and an Oxford Hockey Blue, Jaipal quit coveted ICS career to lead Indian team at Olympics—only Olympics in history where the Gold medalist team did not concede a single goal to rivals in the entire tournament. Legendary Major Dhyan Chand was a member of this team.
Though married into the family of Indian National Congress President W.C. Bonnerjee, Jaipal dared to go against his own in-laws and formed ‘Jharkhand Party’ in order to lead his ‘Adivasi’ people to statehood by literally becoming a thorn in the Congress politics.
Jaipal was the President of Oxford Indian Majlis, a debating society. As the Principal of Rajkumar College, Raipur, Jaipal organised a football match in Calcutta, at which the school commoners played football with the royal princes of India.

James Watt, (30 January 1736 – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer whose improvements to the Newcomen steam engine were fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution in both his native Great Britain and the rest of the world.
Watt was much honoured in his own time. In 1784 he was made a fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and was elected as a member of the Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy, of Rotterdam in 1787. In 1789 he was elected to the elite group, the Smeatonian Society of Civil Engineers. In 1806 he was conferred the honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Glasgow. The French Academy elected him a Corresponding Member and he was made a Foreign Associate in 1814.

The word ‘lok’ means public and ‘manya’ means accepted. Thus lokmanya means a person who has been accepted by people. In his context it means accepted by people as their leader. ‘Lokmanya’ Keshav Bal Gangadhar Tilak was recognized by the British as the Father of the Indian National Movement because of activities that stirred feelings of nationalism in the hearts of every Indian. Though his ideals often differed from Mahatma Gandhi, his views regarding crucial matters were sometimes accepted many times by Gandhiji.
A revolutionary and social reformer in the true sense of the word, he was a freedom fighter who elicited esteem from all, even his enemies. His indomitable spirit was appreciated by people. He voiced his opinions in speeches and through the newspaper, and everyone especially the British feared his speeches as well as editorials for they provoked Indians to fight for freedom. The British tried to put a ban on them, but did they succeed?
The book observes Tilak’s multifaceted personality through the eyes of people. It is a beneficial book for students, scholars and historians alike.

World famous boxer Mary Kom needs no introduction. Her life and her struggle to reach to her present position is an inspiration for all young enthusiasts, who would like to follow her footsteps. This biography highlights all the events of her life – the good and the bad, the defeats and successes that she underwent to reach where she is now. Her life is an inspiration for all young girls. It shows that nothing can deter a person if one has made one’s mind. The book gives a true picture of this undefeatable person’s life and times.

Madam Bhikaji Cama, a prominent personality of the Indian Nationalist Movement, was born on 24th September, 1861 in Bombay. She is known for her venture to hoist the Indian flag in a foreign land and announced it as ‘A flag of Independence’. She helped revolutionaries in every way whether with money, material or ideas.
Madam Cama played a major role during Bombay Presidency famine and plague in 1896. She selflessly served the people who were affected and in distress. Together with Dadabhai Naoroji and Singh Rewabhai Rana. She was instrumental in establishing ‘Indian Home Rule Society’ with Shyamji Krishna Verma in February 1905.
Madam Cama relocated to Paris in 1905 where she wrote, published and distributed revolutionary literature for the movement. When she attended the Socialist Conference at Stuttgart, she unfurled the first Indian National Flag. Cama remained in exile in Europe till 1935. Seriously ill and paralyzed by a stroke, Madam Cama returned to India and at the age of 74, she breathed her last.
A philanthropist, considerate yet determined woman that Bhikaji Cama has been well portrayed in this inspiring biography.

Major Dhyanchand’s name is synonymous with Indian hockey. The great hockey player was born on 29th August, 1905 in Allahabad. His father was serving in the British Indian Army and played hockey. The life of Dhyanchand was full of achievements. He not only played hockey but excelled in it and won many medals for himself and India. His fame grew in the World of Hockey to the extent that once Adolf Hitler offered him citizenship of Germany and post of Colonel in his army. Even today, Dhyanchand remains a legendary figure in the Indian and world hockey. The country celebrates his birthday as National Sports Day to honour his services to the nation. The life and times of the legendary Hockey player of India, who endorsed Hockey as India’s National Game.

Malala Yousafzai is a very young, she has gone on to attain the zeniths that few are fortunate to scale at such a young age. Generally, common women, like you and me, are scared of the goons and loafers on the roads and suffer their uncivilized behaviour thinking that they are destined to suffer.

Martin Luther King Jr. is a name with which everyone in the USA is very familiar. “I have a Dream”, is the famous speech he rendered before thousands of people in Birmingham, Albania. His dream was to get Civil Rights for the African-American people, who were until then treated as unequal. He had the courage to stand up to his conviction that people should not be discriminated because of the colour of their skin. He was a very religious man; a true man of God. Inspired by Mahatma Gandhi’s activism, he fought for the Civil Rights of the people through non-violence. Through his Civil Rights activism, he helped pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the same year he received the Nobel Peace Prize.
An inspiring real life story of the great man.

Nelson Mandela remains an iconic politician who led the struggle to replace an apartheid regime in South Africa with a multi-racial democracy. He is remembered not so much for being the country’s first black President, but for being the first to have galvanized an entire country against colonial oppression.
Mandela’s life is a lesson to those who fear hardship. He showed nothing worthwhile can be achieved without facing and indeed, surmounting hardships in life. He himself took all the hardship in his stride and saw the struggle through untill the oppressive forces were forced to bend. His charisma, self-deprecating sense of humour and above all, lack of bitterness over the harsh treatment are testimony to his towering global appeal. He never tried to take revenge, not even against those who tortured him.
This book is a humble effort to trace Nelson Mandela’s life, from his childhood and years in jail to his rise as President. It will inspire readers to follow the ideals and values of life cherished by this icon.

The present book ‘The Life and Times of Nick Vujicic’ by Ashwini Bhatnagar is an incredible story of an incredible man with a tongue-twister of a name who is leading a life which, to all of us, is simply mindboggling. Nick Vujicic is a thirty year old man who was born without any limbs – no hands and no feet. Despite all the negative reactions from people around with depression and physical difficulties, Nick is today an Evangelist, an international motivational speaker and New York Times best-selling author.

Paramhansa Yogananda was an Indian yogi and guru who introduced millions of westerners to the teachings of meditation and Kriya Yoga through his book.

“We should remove the dirt of slavery that pervades around us . If the stink of slavery persists even after gaining freedom, the fragrance of freedom would not pervade.”
—Sardar Patel

Aurobindo’s ideology and principles embody divinity, ethics, spontaneity and knowledge. He was an accomplished teacher, a profound scholar, writer and a spiritual Guru. For him nationalism was a holy offering to the motherland when viewed from the divine perspective.
Aurobindo also played a very prominent role as a revolutionary. His contribution to politics cannot be ignored. Although his writings are philosophical in nature they also provide valuable social and cultural analysis. He was the one who suggested that ‘Poorna Swaraj’, should the main aim behind the revolutionary movement against the British. Nationalists were aroused with the inspiration to seize power from the foreign masters.
Aurobindo was an eminent educationist also. He valued greatly the inherent qualities and talents in each child. He felt that the role of education should be to nurture and enhance these God-given qualities.
This book throws light on Sri Aurobindo Ghosh Life. This is a biographical sketch for readers.

The present book by AK Gandhi is based on the life of one of the most popular spiritual leaders of the present time in India and abroad – Sri Sri Ravishankar. He is the founder of Art of Living Foundation. He started this foundation in year 1981 with an aim to relieve individual stress; social problems and violence. In order to help people get rid of their anxieties and establish world peace; he has been initiating several spiritual and charity programmes in different countries of the world. One of such initiatives taken by Guruji was Geneva based NGO; International Association for Human Values; that engages in relief work and rural development; and aims to foster shared global values. He has been the recipient of some of the highest honors and awards of several countries including the Padma Vibhushan from the Government of India which he received in January 2016.
To know more closely about this great spiritual leader and peace-maker; who was born on 13th May 1956 in Tamilnadu; read this story of his life and times from the pen of one of his followers – AK Gandhi.

Give me blood and I’ll give you freedom’, declared Subhash Chandra Bose. This was exactly what he believed in. The moderate ways of the Congress were not for him. Therefore, he formed the Azad Hind Fauj to overthrow the British. Burning with patriotic zeal, he tried his best to oust the British from his motherland. He was respectfully addressed as ‘Netaji’ and he dedicated his entire life for the freedom of his country.The annals of history have not done justice to this great patriot. It is time that he should be known by the people of India and given his due recognition. This book attempts to bring his life into spotlight and illuminate it so that the reader is conversant with it and appreciates his efforts.

Swami Vivekananda philosophy was a blend of the traditional values and modern thoughts, as well as human values and superhuman thoughts. Although he lived only for thirty-nine years, he influenced the thinking of multitudes around the world. His charismatic personality and intellectual speeches made an impact that altered people’s concept of Hinduism and India globally. Even today, his teachings are capable of transforming all who are keen to imbibe them.
Vivekananda was born when Calcutta was India’s capital under the British Raj. It was a time when the British Raj sought to change the governing system of India after the Mutiny of 1857. Swami Vivekananda preferred a modern approach to deal with the existing social problems and favoured Western ideas. This book tries to cover the life and philosophy of Swami Vivekananda comprehensively and give an insight about his personality.

Thomas Alva Edison, who transformed his childhood problem of deafness into an exemplary quality of concentration, did not get tired till his last. Despite being deprived of formal education, this great scientist studied literature and science with immense interest, acquired new patents on an average in every 15 days of his active life. Through him, the world entered into the modern era and it led to an onset of consumerism.

The Life story of a public man cannot help being to some extent the same thing as a history of the times in which he lived, and to the case of none does this remark apply with more force than to that of the “Father of his Country;” which very title shows the degree to which the personality of its bearer became identified with the public life of the nation. While a great deal of the space in this book, consequently, has had to be devoted to American Revolutionary History, it is hoped that excess in this direction has been avoided, and that the main purpose of the work will be attained, i.e. to give its young readers a distinct and vivid idea of the exalted character and priceless services of Washington, so far as these can be brought within the understanding of a child.