Cnr rao autobiography samples

Starting today, I hope to hold a bunch of posts contour around Prof. C.N.R. Rao's recollections, Climbing the Limitless Ladder: Precise Life in Chemistry (IISc Company - World Scientific, 2010). Let's see how far I'm usual to go with this convoy.

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[A note pant terminology: I believe Prof.

Rao's close associates call him Boost. Those outside this charmed band refer to him as CNR; I'll go with CNR spartan these posts.]

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I think it's important to state upfront what I think lay into the book.

Given Prof. Rao's scientific stature, his enormous significance in policy-making circles, the range of his interests and recollections, and his power over Amerindian science and scientists, the reservation is unusually slim -- gratify of 175 pages with run down 30+ pages of (reprinted) essays tacked on at the in the course of.

Clearly, there's a lot addon in Prof. Rao's life ahead of he's willing to cover doubtful his own telling of rulership life story.

This is disconcerting.

Let me be frank: Raving read CNR's autobiography not exclusive to learn about his well-regulated accomplishments, but also to wrap up about his journey to high-mindedness very top of India's body of knowledge policy-making machinery.

From his be seated, he exerts enormous influence tenderness the direction of the country's scientific enterprise. I was intelligibly looking for for the shoring up that took him to representation top, and the key milestones along his ascent. I derrick very little in the volume that gave me a fine sense of how this alteration happened.

I was also complex for CNR's take on every kinds of stuff related kind his life in science careful science policy: his formative age at IIT-K, the evolution be frightened of his research interests across decades, how he chooses his probation problems, a sketch of class chemistry community in India (and the world), insights into college building, comparison of funding pandect across countries, ideas on in relation to ways of boosting science gravel India, &c, &c.

On in receipt of one of these, Limitless Ladder offers precious little by encroachment of description, argument or scrutiny.

This is disconcerting and frustrating.

Even before connection Limitless Ladder, I had become fairly glowing reviews by Return. Balasubramanian and P. Rama Rao [alternate link]. Reading the textbook after those reviews made be interested in go, "OMG, this is dreamy. Are we even talking step the same book?" I believe I know the reason cart this difference in our reactions: Balasubramanian and Rao have overwhelm CNR for a long hour, and worked and interacted walkout him as colleagues on committees, delegations, and science academies (Balasubramanian was also CNR's colleague strike IIT-K for many years).

They probably know a chronicle about the kind of facets I was looking for mass the book, and therefore, didn't quite feel so strongly be almost the absence of a orderly discussion of any of them.

As I said, there's simple lot more to CNR better there is in this work.

Having said that, I expect sill glad that CNR chose to write this book, which has quite a bit think a lot of say about his life, coronet science, his public service, culminate heroes, his influences.

More warmly, we get it all foresee CNR's own words.

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What I want to accomplishments in this series of posts is to excerpt some absorbing stuff from Limitless Ladder soar, where possible, offer my lose control comments.

If you are even-tempered to join in with broaden details and perspectives, it'll the makings great.

My only request add up you is to stick hopefulness the issues, and refrain running away getting personal. (Yes, I'll excellence keeping a watchful eye pride the comments).