Early in 1981, the visionary in Dr Vishwanath D Karad saw the need for unaided engineering colleges, to cater to the demand of India that was rapidly rising in aspirations. In the subsequent years, the state of Maharashtra, and indeed the entire nation, put brick and mortar to this vision to the point that today, India produces 1.5 million engineering graduates per year, the majority of them from unaided institutions. This has helped India to be the biggest exporter of white-collar jobs globally, since the turn of the century. The educationist, scientist, spiritualist, philanthropist, education builder, humanist and peace ambassador put all his experiences together in recent years to make the world's largest dome (the dome at Vatican City, Rome, Italy, is now second-placed) and the world's first peace dome which will likely end up being the eighth wonder of the world. This book is a collection of testimonials written by esteemed personalities of our society for this living jewel of India.

Courageous scientists challenge the dominant paradigm of reality. Why are they so brave and what does their research reveal? What is reality? Is there more than we know from our five senses? Vanguard scientists believe there is more than we see so they formulate a non-materialist paradigm that expands human potential, to include mind and matter interaction. Since going against the dominant worldview provokes opposition, this book explores the personal backgrounds of the scientists to find out why they are so courageous. We learn that there is another dimension that allows for enhanced abilities. Based on interviews conducted by Gayle Kimball, The Mysteries of Reality: Dialogues with Visionary Scientists reports on the current research and personal characteristics of visionaries from around the world.

As the most successful biotech company in history and the eighth largest drug-producing company in the world, Amgen has improved the lives of millions of patients worldwide. In 2005, the company celebrates its twenty-fifth anniversary with the publication of "The Amgen Story. This stunning illustrated book contains hundreds of archival photos and compelling text from noted biotech writer David Ewing Duncan. It is testament and tribute to the staff, leaders, patients, and science that make each discovery possible.

Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry, four-legged creatures with wagging tails and floppy ears that are as docile and friendly as any lapdog. But, despite appearances, these are not dogs—they are foxes. They are the result of the most astonishing experiment in breeding ever undertaken—imagine speeding up thousands of years of evolution into a few decades. In 1959, biologists Dmitri Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut set out to do just that, by starting with a few dozen silver foxes from fox farms in the USSR and attempting to recreate the evolution of wolves into dogs in real time in order to witness the process of domestication. This is the extraordinary, untold story of this remarkable undertaking. Most accounts of the natural evolution of wolves place it over a span of about 15,000 years, but within a decade, Belyaev and Trut’s fox breeding experiments had resulted in puppy-like foxes with floppy ears, piebald spots, and curly tails. Along with these physical changes came genetic and behavioral changes, as well. The foxes were bred using selection criteria for tameness, and with each generation, they became increasingly interested in human companionship. Trut has been there the whole time, and has been the lead scientist on this work since Belyaev’s death in 1985, and with Lee Dugatkin, biologist and science writer, she tells the story of the adventure, science, politics, and love behind it all. In How to Tame a Fox, Dugatkin and Trut take us inside this path-breaking experiment in the midst of the brutal winters of Siberia to reveal how scientific history is made and continues to be made today. To date, fifty-six generations of foxes have been domesticated, and we continue to learn significant lessons from them about the genetic and behavioral evolution of domesticated animals. How to Tame a Fox offers an incredible tale of scientists at work, while also celebrating the deep attachments that have brought humans and animals together throughout time.

Dr. Kalam was born and brought up in a multi-religious, multi-ethnic community, and this type of milieu had a profound effect on his personality. He gave equal respect to all faiths and religions; and he did not pay only lip-service to different religions. During his life, he visited the saints and seers of all faiths, discussed with them and learnt from them. He learnt what divinity and spirituality actually meant, and brought out a blended form. For him, religion is a connecting thread. He was quite at ease when he quoted from the Gita or the Hadith, or for that matter, from the holy texts of other faiths. In this book, we have made a solemn endeavour to read his mind, how he thought at every turn of his life; and this will help the readers to understand the intricacies of his thinking and how he was guided for a mission in his life. To understand him well, we have also narrated a number of incidents, accidents and events of his life, that would contribute to holistic understanding about him. He took up the challenges and worked on them wholeheartedly; whenever he failed, he overcame his negativity and came out a stronger man than ever. This is the beauty of his character, and this makes him one of the most popular public figures of all times. May his soul rest in peace! —K. Senthil Kumar, IAS

Visionary Worlds examines the role and significance of imagination and the myth-making processes that engage human beings in constructing a viable, living world of meaningful relations, beliefs, and social interactions. In this process of "world-building," we each draw on a wide variety of ideologies--religious, philosophical, aesthetic or scientific--which often conflict and clash with one another in the struggle to evolve a coherent and meaningful worldview. This unpredictable and fallible process often requires considerable readjustment or revisions as the complexities of an increasingly pluralistic society impinge upon us with greater divergence and multiplicity. This work examines the ways in which we all make and unmake our reality as part of the challenge of seeking greater spiritual maturity and relatedness to others.

Fifty of the world’s most creative people share their stories and inspirations in this volume created by the Exploratorium science museum. What do music visionary Brian Eno, kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen, science writer Mary Roach, Mythbuster Adam Savage, and Pulitzer-winning journalist Thomas Friedman have in common? They are all game-changers: scientists, artists, entertainers, and activists who revolutionized their fields with bold new perspectives and approaches—and they all had transformative, course-setting experiences at the Exploratorium science museum, the San Francisco landmark visited by a million people a year in person and by millions more online. Join them and forty-five more brilliant thinkers and doers in a wonderfully playful, insightful, and sometimes incredibly moving journey to see how you, too, can harness your powers of observation, inquiry, and engagement to be the change you want to see in the world—regardless of who you are or what you do. Interviewees and subjects include: Oscar-Winning Sound Designer Walter Murch on observation Laurie Anderson on art as a way of knowing Memory Expert Elizabeth Loftus on how we learn Oliver Sacks on perception Mary Roach on how she learned to ask the right questions Adam Savage on the fun of finding things out Mickey Hart on the art of playing to learn, and learning to play California Governor Gavin Newsom on the importance of science Community activist Randy Carter on finding joy in the worst of places . . . and dozens more interviews, insights, and activities suggested by artists, scientists, poets, and politicians, in a book that can help you become more creative—and maybe just change the world.

This book examines the theory, behaviour, connections and issues of modern information organizations. Asking leading professionals where we may be in the near future, it challenges both our perceptions and preconceptions. Posing perhaps the most vital question of all... Are we prepared? Do we have a vision?

Sir Joseph Rotblat (1908-2005), British physicist and one of the most prominent critics of the nuclear arms race, received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995 in conjunction with the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, an organization of scientists which he headed at the time, for their efforts towards nuclear disarmament. 'Joseph Rotblat - Visionary for Peace' is dedicated to the life of this unique scientist and humanist. It contains contributions by Nobel Laureates, eminent scholars and prominent politicians who, each from their own perspective, shed light on the life and work of this distinguished scientist. An introduction by the editors is followed by five central articles on Rotblat's biography, the impact of his work on science and peace and the Pugwash organization. The third part of the book consists of over 30 commentaries, written by the likes of Martin Rees, Mikhail Gorbachev, Jack Steinberger, Mohamed ElBaradei, Paul J.Crutzen, and Mairead Corrigan Maguire.