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Part 1, which includes Chapters 1 and 2, presents the highlights of my personal life, my education, and my marriage.

Part 2, which includes chapters 3 to 18, is a description of my fifty-year professional career at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory where I participated in some fascinating accelerator and particle physics research. Many people are convinced a priori that this type of science is beyond their comprehension, but my ambition here is to make it as understandable as possible to my readers, regardless of their backgrounds. My career took me all over the world and brought me together with wonderful colleagues at home and abroad, whose contributions and memories I want to share.

Part 3, which includes Chapters 19 to 23, covers some of my observations and experiences in world affairs and politics that enriched my life. My decision to teach courses on the causes of war at Stanford also explains how I came to publish a book in 2019 on The Human Condition, and why this memoir frequently includes comments on international events. After I retired, I also found some time to study the existential threat of global warming of our planet to which I dedicate Chapter 22.