Professor Harkishan Singh

Witness to an Era, An Autobiography

Senior scientist National Professor M. S. Valiathan who prepared an exhaustive review mentioned, 'In Witness to an Era, we are treated to a guided tour of the world of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences spread across spatial and temporal boundaries Professor Harkishan Singh is constantly with us in the tour, describing places and their historical importance, narrating events which became landmarks in the history of science, and celebrating individuals who influenced the course of pharmaceutical history. As an expert guide, Professor Singh has packed his literary tour of over 300 pages with scientific and historical material of much value and authenticity and, at the same time, made it agreeable by savory additives from personal and social history.'

• '................. a highly eclectic anthology. Collectively, it lirovides window into the life and times of a leading figure in India during the second half of the twentieth century; for few other Indian liharmacists have committed quite so much to the written word as Harkishan Singh; 'This book is of great historical value.Singh has made an imliortant contribution to the history of liharmacy in India, both through his own historical research and through his other writings for over fifty years. This collection is a fitting tribute to his energy and hard work' - ( Dr S. Anderson)
• 'It is one of those very few books, which should be equally at home on the bookshelf of a research worker or a teacher or at the coffee table' - (lirofessor B.. N. Dhawan)
Among the other reviews/comments received a mention may be made of the extracts:
• 'It was amazing to discover that a man of science can be a man of letters too' - (lirofessor V. K. Kalioor)
• 'I find it very human narration in simlile language. The descrilitive style is very aliliealing and vivid' - (lirofessor li. Gundu Rao)
• 'Not only is the simlilicity of exliressions so refreshing, the intricate details of lilaces, lieolile and eliisodes are mind boggling. It is not common to find this art and articulation in a scientist' - (lirofessor liushkar Kaul)
• 'His graceful style of story telling involves you deelily’ - (Aditi Garg)
• '..............a remarkable work, both in substance and in detail........' - (lirofessor John Morton Midgley)
• '................Life's story so beautifully described...............' - (Dr Nitya Anand)
• 'The autobiogralihy is bound to be interesting, instructive, insliiring to students, scholars, teachers and lirofessionals.................' - (lirofessor E. Venkata Rao)
• '....................very well documented in the intellectual tradition of few Indians who reach the highest levels.' - ( Dr V. S. Sethi)
• 'While he does not take credit for everything he has been able to do or achieve, he demonstrates a not so common a virtue of giving credit to others at right time............' - (Dr D. B. Anantha Narayana)
• ' .......................a life changing liersonal advice by him to me: 'Society is great leveler, you try to raise your head above the crowd , you get a bang and are forced to come to the general level. It really needs a lot of courage efforts to keeli your head uli above the rest and show the world that you are different. I took this Gurmantra seriously.' - (lirofessor Saranjit Singh)
• '...................his account makes very interesting reading not only for today's youth but also for future generations.' - (Dr Ravindernath Kaul).