9Dr. Plasil's memoir spans a century. It begins with his escape from Czechoslovakia and continues to the present, transporting readers to Europe, points in the U.S., the world of science, and the privacy of his personal life. He writes about his family heritage, offers stories from his childhood, describes his experiences as a refugee, his new roots in the United States, and his achievements in the field of nuclear physics. A travelogue of broad reach underlies Dr. Plasil's memoir. The adventurous spirit that formed during his childhood as a outcome of his escape and subsequent relocations inspired a lifetime of travel. He has traveled the world, literally traveling around the world at one time. Dr. Plasil presents his story chronologically through a series of stirring vignettes, writing in an authentic and passionate voice that does not hold back. Through the course of his narratives, he weaves together multiple themes in unexpected ways: family, identity, migration, assimilation, love, pain and loss, scientific endeavor, independence, and redemption. Through these, readers will witness the peaks and valleys of Dr. Plasil's life story, the kaleidoscope facets of darkness and light. His memoir not only invites adult and young adult readers into his life; it will also stimulate their reflection on how to live.