Famous Biographies of Great Indian Personalities

A good biography gives you great experience, ability to think and understand the things which you can not even imagine. If you only learn by yourself, then probably you need ages to understand your surroundings only, forget about world.We all understand theory by some case-studies, but biography itself is a big case-study & the theory coming out from such a big case-study has much bigger impact on life.It may be life changing !

Good biographies spread positivity in your life and are inspirational in nature. Reading habit of powerful biographies can even nullify stress & they may offer the solution to your real-life problems.  

Top 5 Inspiring Indian Autobiographies

1. My Experiment With Truth By Mahatma K Gandhi

Irrespective of many controversies we have heard about M. K. Gandhi, “My Experiment with Truth” by Mahatma Gandhi himself is a must-read. In his autobiography, at times, he is brutally honest in describing his experiments and incidents.

This book is an invaluable insight into one of the 20th century’s most iconic characters for whom Albert Einstein once said that “Generations to come will scarce believe that such a one as this ever in flesh and blood walked upon this earth. (said for Mahatma Gandhi)”.

If such are the words of the greatest ever scientist in the world, then what more you need to get excited to read this wonderful book.

2. Vivekananda: A Biography By Swami Nikhilananda

An absorbing biography of Swami Vivekananda that presents his vast knowledge of Eastern and Western culture, deep spiritual insight, brilliant conversation, broad human sympathy, and colorful personality. Swami Vivekananda, India's first spiritual and cultural ambassador to the West, proclaimed the universal message of Vedanta: the non-duality of the Godhead, the divinity of the soul, the oneness of existence, and the harmony of religions. 

Many have already got energized by just reading him. Remember his famous quote:” Arise, awake and stop not, till the goal is reached”.

Many publications have released the biographies & autobiographies of Swami Vivekananda, one of the greatest modern-day yogi of India. This biography book from India is about a man with a clear vision and mind, a brilliant speaker, who clearly inspiring our lives for over a century. His superhuman accomplishments in the 1890’s America with unbelievable odds working against him. Yet what he did in 1893 in Chicago will be heard for centuries.

Apart from your own read, this is one of the finest biographies to gift your near and dear ones of all age group and this will surely help students.

3. Sir C. V. Raman, by A. Krishna Bhatt

The genius, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics. He was the first Asian scientist to win the Nobel Prize. He was a man of boundless curiosity and a lively sense of humor. His spirit of enquiry and devotion to science laid the foundations for scientific research in India. And he won honor as a scientist and affection as a teacher and a man

4. Wings Of Fire By A P J Abdul Kalam

If you are expecting the story about his life, then this is not that. This is more than an autobiography. With very few resources and only dreams, hopes, and aspirations, the man of the excellent character changed the defense scenario of India. He later achieved the highest honor of the country and reached the highest position in the country.

APJ Kalaam always wanted to fuel the every Indian with the same pride, which he carries. ‘Wings of fire’ is one of the best selling biography books of India.

5. The Man Who Knew Infinity: A Life Of The Genius Ramanujan By Robert Kanigel

Born poor in India in 1887, this rigorously orthodox Hindu, exemplary mathematician rose to the heights before he died at the very young age of 32 years. This is a well-researched book and fascinating account of the short but outstanding life of the enigmatic and extraordinary mathematician Ramanujan.

Ramanujan could be easily compared with the greatest of any subject or he could be described as the mathematical equivalent of a Mozart.

Everyone would surely find Ramanujan fascinating, even if you have no interest in mathematics.

Famous Biographies of Great Indian Personalities-

• Beyond the Last Blue Mountain- R. M. Lala

• The Race of My Life - Milkha Singh

• Autobiography of a Yogi- Paramahansa Yogananda

• Straight from the Heart - Kapil Dev

• laying to Win- Saina Nehwal

• Ace against odds- Saina Mirza

• Why I am an Atheist -Bhagat Singh

• Unbreakable - Marry Com

• The Bandit Queen of India- Phoolan Devi

• Truth, Love, and a little Malice- Khushwant Singh

• One Life Is not Enough -K.Natwar Singh

• How I Become a Hindu- Sita Ram Goel

• On My Tennis, From the Grassroots to the Corridors of Powers - Sharad Pawar

• My Times: An Autography- J.B Kripalani

• All from Memory - B.V Acharya

• Living Shadows - Aribam Syam Sharma

• Atmakatha (Hindi)- Rajendra Prasad

• A Grain of Sand in the Hourglass of Time - Arjun Singh

• A Life of an Ordinary Indian-An exercise in Self-Importance - Anil K. Rajvanshi

• Autobiography of an Unknown Indian - Nirad C.Chaudhuri

• Sunil Gavaskar - Sunny Days

• Matters of Discretion- I K Gujral

• The Test of my life - Yuvraj Singh

• Playing it my way- Sachin Tendulkar

• Wandering in Many Worlds - V. R. Krishna Iyer

• My Country My Life - L. K. Advani

• Nice Guys Finish Second -  B.K Nehru

• In Afternoon of Time - H.R. Bachchan

• Touch of Tennis: The story of a tennis family - Ramesh Krishnan

• In the footsteps of the Mahatma - B.D. Birla

• The Story of My Life - M.R. Jayakar

• My Days - R.K. Narayan

• Freedom in Exile - Dalai Lama

• Cricket Crusader - Sir Gary Sobers

• Story of My life -Moshe Dayan

• Mein Kampf (My Struggle) - Adolf Hitler

• Wular Ke Kinarey -Syed Ali Geelani

• My Early Life: A Roving Commission- Winston Churchill

• My Life & the Beautiful Game - Pele

• My Own Boswell: Memoirs- M. Hidayatullah

• Daughter of the East- Benazir Bhutto

• Friends, Not Masters-  Md. Ayub Khan

• Friends and Foes - Sheikh Mujibur Rahman

• I reach for the Stars- Barbara Cartland

• Golden Girl - P.T. Usha

• My Presidential Years- R. Vekatataman

• My Reminiscences - R.N. Tagore

• My Music, My Life - Pt. Ravi Shankar

• Roses in December - M.C. Chagla

• The Insider - P.V. Narasimha Rao

• My Struggles - E.K. Nayanar

• Happy for no Reason - Mandira Bedi and Satyadev Barman

• Made in India- Milind Soman and Roopa Pai

• Amma Mia - Esha Deol Takhtani

• Open Book - Jessica Simpson

• More Myself: A Journey - Alicia Keys

• What we Carry: A Memoir - Maya Shanbhag Lang

• Lift off: The Story of Conzerv - Hema Hattangady

•  An Autobiography- Jawaharlal Nehru

• Atmakatha (Malayalam)- Anna Chandy

• Waiting for a Visa - B. R. Ambedkar 

• Baburnama - Babur

• Courage and Conviction - General Vijay Kumar Singh

• Ente Katha (My Story) - Kamala Surayya

• En Sarithiram - U. V. Swaminathan Iyer

• How I Became a Hindu- Sita Ram Goel 

• Jakhan Choto Chilam- Satyajit Ray

• A Shot at History - Abhinav Bindra 

• Outlaw: India’s Bandit Queen and Me - Roy Moxham

• Akhada: The Authorized Biography of Mahavir Singh Phogat- Saurabh Duggal

• Spy Princess: The Life of Noor Inayat Khan - Shrabani Basu

• Husain: Portrait of an Artist- Ila Pal

• Gandhi Before India- Ramachandra Guha

5 Second Rule- Transform your life, work and confidence with everyday courage| Book Summary

5 Second Rule-  Transform your life, work and confidence with everyday courage

Book Author - Mel Robbin

Every single day we face moments that are difficult, uncertain, and scary. Your life requires courage. And that is exactly what the Rule will help you discover—the courage to become your greatest self. 

The 5 Second Rule is simple. If you have an instinct to act on a goal, you must physically move within 5 seconds or your brain will kill it.

The moment you feel an instinct or a desire to act on a goal or a commitment, use the Rule. .

You are one decision away from a completely different life.

When you feel yourself hesitate before doing something that you know you should do, count 5-4-3-2-1-GO and move towards action.

There is a window that exists between the moment you have an instinct to change and your mind killing it. It’s a 5 second window. And it exists for everyone.

If you do not take action on your instinct to change, you will stay stagnant. You will not change.

But if you do one simple thing, you can prevent your mind from working against you. You can start the momentum before the barrage of thoughts and excuses hit you at full force.

What do you do?

Just start counting backwards to yourself: 5-4-3-2-1.

The counting will focus you on the goal or commitment and distract you from the worries, thoughts, and excuses in your mind.

As soon as you reach “1” – push yourself to move.

This is how you push yourself to do the hard stuff – the work that you don’t feel like doing, or you’re scared of doing, or you’re avoiding.

That’s it. 5 seconds is all it takes.If you don’t act on an instinct within that 5 second window, that’s it. You’re not doing it.

Courage

Courage is the ability to do something that is difficult or scary. Stepping outside of your comfort zone. Sharing your ideas, speaking up, or showing up. Standing firm in your beliefs and values. And some days getting out of bed.

Goals & dreams

When it comes to goals, dreams, and changing your life, your inner wisdom is a genius. Your goal-related impulses, urges, and instincts are there to guide you. You need to learn to bet on them. Because, as history proves, you’ll never know when your greatest inspiration will strike and where that discovery will lead you if you trust yourself enough to act on it. 

Taking action

Pushing yourself to take simple actions creates a chain reaction in your confidence and your productivity. By pushing yourself to take the simple steps of moving your life forward, you create momentum and experience a sense of freedom and power that’s hard to accurately describe

The idea that in order to change you must “feel” eager or “feel” motivated to act is complete garbage. The moment it’s time to assert yourself, you will not feel motivated. In fact, you won’t feel like doing anything at all. If you want to improve your life, you’ll need to get off your rear end and kick your own butt.

One of the reasons why the 5 Second Rule is so empowering is because it turns you into the kind of person who operates with a bias toward action. If you tend to overthink every move, you’ll discover the energy and confidence to stop thinking and actually move. Using the Rule strengthens your belief that you do have the ability to control your own fate—because you are proving it to yourself one push at a time.

The Rule doesn’t make these things easy; it makes them happen. That’s why it’s described as a tool.

Small moves

It’s not the big moves that define our lives; it’s the smallest ones. Within five seconds of stopping to think, you’ll have decided not to take any action on those small things. Over time, those small decisions build. We’ve repeated this pattern of hesitating, worrying, and doubting ourselves so much, that these actions are now habits that have encoded in our brains.

The fact that hesitating, holding yourself back, and overthinking are habits is good news. There’s a simple, proven way to break or replace bad habits and the 5 Second Rule is the easiest way to do it.

Productivity

Productivity can be boiled down to one word—FOCUS. There are two types of focus you need to master productivity:

1.     The ability to manage distractions so that you can focus moment-to-moment on the task at hand.

2.     The skill of focusing on what’s truly important to you in the big picture, so you don’t waste your day on stupid stuff.

 

Learn how to manage distractions – first you must decide that distractions are not good. Interruptions of any sort are the kiss of death for your productivity. You have to decide that your goals are more important than push notifications. It’s that simple. Then you just remove them. When you start to remove distractions and are able to focus on the moment-to-moment things that matter you will have “no idea” how much it will help.

Big picture focus – own your mornings. Taking control of your mornings is a game changer for productivity. Create a morning routine that helps you focus on your priorities. Customise it to your needs, include some planning time for the day ahead. Add exercise or meditation. Create a routine that you can do every single day. 

Procrastination

Productive procrastination – this is not the problem. If you are working on a creative or innovative project, research shows that procrastination is not only good, but it is also important. The creative process takes time, so when you set a project aside for a few days or weeks, your mind can wander.

 Destructive procrastination – is when we avoid the work we need to get done and know there will be negative consequences. For a long time, everyone believed procrastination meant poor time management skills, a lack of willpower, or lack of self-discipline. Procrastination is not a form of laziness at all. It’s a coping mechanism for stress

5, 4, 3, 2, 1… Make Progress

“When you set a goal, your brain opens up a task list. Whenever you are near things that can help you achieve those goals, your brain fires up your instincts to signal to get that goal completed. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you have a goal to get healthier. If you walk into a living room, nothing happens. If you walk past a gym, however, your prefrontal cortex (front part of your brain) lights up because you are near something related to getting healthier. As you pass the gym, you’ll feel like you should exercise. That’s an instinct reminding you of the goal. That’s your inner wisdom, and it’s important to pay attention to it, no matter how small or silly that instinct may seem.”

– MEL ROBBINS

Ways to use the 5 Second Rule:

• To push yourself
• Become more influential at work
• Be more productive
• Step outside your comfort zone
• Become more efficient
• to self- monitor and control your emotions
• To Manage, engage, Motivate and encourage your friend and family member

Favorite quote from the author:

You can't control how you feel. But you can choose how you act.

Needless to say you don’t need anything else to give The 5 second rule  a try, but as we just learned, explaining an idea is rarely enough to get us to take action. If you want to learn more first, take a look at Mel Robbin’s TEDX Talk. She’s full of upbeat, positive energy and it’s quite contagious. 

Get Kindle version here. Click here

Mel Robbin's TEDX Talk- Click Here