This book is by far one of the most valuable and insightful readings I've benefitted from thus far. Iqbal's insight (especially during his period of time) is unexplainable. His analysis of Western thought and philosophy, replacing it with his own deep conclusions has given me a totally different outlook on life. By far, he is the greatest thinker of the 20th century.

Aprox. 60 years after his death Iqbal still has a powerful effect on the Muslim mind. A must read for every Muslim.

Like any other work of Dr. Iqbal, without a doubt this book is an extra-ordinary peice of work for every soul capable of "thinking". At times, somewhat difficult to grasp too.

Mustansir Mir has done a superb job of bringing to life selected works of Iqbal to a generation of Indian and Pakistani Muslims who do not read, write of speak Urdu fluently.
The author has gone into a detailed analysis of the work of Iqbal. Each poem is introduced with text and there are plenty of foot notes to grasp the meaning of each verse. It is said that poetry loses its charm when translated and is not as good as the original. In Mustansir Mir's case, I cannot subscribe to this view. His work has made me appreciate the true nature of Iqbal work in full force that even my parents who were well versed in Urdu and read his work did not enjoy.
For this invaluable gift to us, that is Indian Muslims, I offer a collective thank you!

Nadir Mir Ali

Superbly translated and deftly edited by Mustansir Mir, Tulip In The Desert showcases the poetry of Muhammad Iqbal, one of the Indian sub-continent's most influential thinkers who Urdu and Persian poetry helped to inspire the idea of an independent Pakistan. Rumi And Goethe: In paradise that perceptive German/Happened upon the Master of the East./Where is a poet of such stature!/Though not a prophet, he is possessed of scripture!/To the one who knew divine secrets/He read about the pact of Iblis and the doctor./Rumi said, 'You who bring words to life,/And hunt angels - and God -/Your thought has made its home/In the inner recesses of the heart,/And created this old world anew./At one and the same time in the body's frame,/You have seen the tranquillity and the restlessness of the soul,/You have been a witness to the birth of the pearl in the shell./Not everyone knows the secret of love;/Or is fit to reach these portals./'He who is blest, and a confidant, knows/That cunning comes from Iblis and love from Adam'.

Only 4 stars since it's from 1983... But in calculating the position of the sun and other relevant parameters in estimating solar radiation, it's still unmached...

Best Regards ...

I am doing research using solar radiation models to correlate vegetation to slope aspect. This is one of the best books I have found to use. It is very logically ordered and relatively easy to follow -- a basic understanding of geometry and trig is all you need. Iqbal first defines and describes the variables, then has step-by-step examples to illustrate the equations and concepts. This is an excellent reference to any equation needed to mathmatically determine any aspect of solar energy. I would recommend this book to anyone: those just getting started and those who already know how it works.