The author found himself in places and times to closely observe significant events and noteworthy personalities in 20th century science. Variously, he interacted with such notables as Richard Feynman, S. Chandrasekhar, Edward Teller, Ya. B. Zel'dovich, John Wheeler, James Watson, Julian Schwinger, Fred Hoyle, Martin Rees, Stephen Hawking, Freeman Dyson, Ed Witten, and many others. His Ph.D. advisor, Kip Thorne, and his Ph.D. student, Adam Riess, each won Nobel Prizes-for discoveries that he helped them start. Later, he worked with (or for) not just scientists, but also technology capitalists and billionaires, admirals and generals, and political leaders including two U.S. presidents. His memoir is rich in stories about these people and events.
