Contents
Editor's Note vii
Foreword: A.P.J. Abdul Kalam xi
Part I
Selected Lectures and Essays
1. The Pursuit of Science: Its Motivations 3
2. Newton and Michelangelo 20
3. Convocation Address 28
4. Science and Scientific Attitudes 32
5. Know About Black Holes 40
6. On Presenting the Bust of Ramanujan to the Royal Society 49
7. Science in Pre- and Post-independence India 56
8. Astronomy in Science and in Human Culture 69
9. Indira Gandhi: Some Recollections 84
Part II
Family Reminiscences
1. My Everlasting Flame 89
2. My Anna 98
3. A Walk through Chandra Vilas 113
4. Impressions 121
5. My First few Meetings with Ayya Mama 125
6. Interaction with Prof. S. Chandrasekhar 131
7. Ayya Mama: In Retrospect 134
8. Chandra: Re-inventing an Uncle 138
9. Periappa 147
10. Remembering Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar 177
11. A Miscellany of Memories 181
12. Anecdotes from a Silent Admirer 185
13. Conversations with Ayya Mama 188
14. My Stellar Uncle 202
15. Resonating Stories 210
16. He Noticed! 215
17. A Rare Privilege 219
Contributors 243
Glossary 247
Acknowledgements 249
Copyright Acknowledgements 250