Parliamentarian, statesman, patron of the arts, humanist the eighth president of India, R Venkataraman (1910–2009), was all this and much more. Be it political affairs, arts and crafts, or even religion, he played a pioneering role in many fields. He was also extremely affable, soft spoken, a complete family man who encouraged everyone to follow their dreams. The articles in this volume analyse his role in shaping India into what the country is today, as well as what future generations can learn from him. Illustrious personalities, including Vice President M Hamid Ansari, Inder Malhotra, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Dr L Subramaniam, Dr RK Pachauri, Dr Richard von Weizsäcker, Fali S Nariman, Swami Dayananda Saraswati and Lord Geoffrey Howe reveal different aspects of this multifaceted man. Reminiscences by friends and family members give glimpses of his private persona as well.