In Lieu of A memoir

These are life reminiscences of a theoretical physicist born in Goa, what was then a Portuguese colony in India. He studied in Goa and IIT Bombay, obtained a PhD in physics at Stony Brook University in the State of New York in the USA, and led an active academic life for half a century thereafter, publishing ten books (technical as well as nontechnical), teaching students both in the classroom and as apprentices, doing research, and participating in international collaborative work all over the world. The book is distinct from standard memoirs in that it consists of poems and prose pieces woven together to tell the story. A small number of the poems are in the Konkani language but are translated and explained in English. The narration is structured into themes rather than being a chronologically related story. We learn about the remarkable east-west, Hindu-Christian coexistence of communities in, and the striking visual beauty of, Goa in one chapter. This is followed by musings about interpersonal relationships among humans in another, and philosophical thoughts about God and the Universe in yet another chapter. The author's experiences in his professional life bearing on academics and physics forms the largest chapter. There we read about how academic interactions and collaborations proceed and what lies behind tools and concepts used in theoretical physics research. We also learn about the pleasures and dangers of interdisciplinary work, and encounter scenes from fascinating travels all over the world entered into by the author in connection with his profession. The travels include various European countries, India, and notably Latin America but also briefly Australia and Japan. A worthwhile activity discussed in detail is the Consortium of the Americas for Interdisciplinary Science that the author founded and directed for the last sixteen years of active life before retirement. That Center brought together numerous Latin American scientists to the author's university in USA for long and short periods and encouraged collaborative work that was both international and interdisciplinary. An important research advance made at the Consortium dealt with the theoretical understanding of the spread of infection in epidemics. One chapter of the book is dedicated to difficult health experiences in the life of the author and the thoughts and emotions that they gave rise to. A miscellaneous chapter blends humorous incidents with an analysis of the difference between poetry and prose and with several other interesting topics concerning experiences with students, friends, and family. Following the six chapters of this book, a brief epilogue rounds off the reminiscences. In summary, this is an autobiographical account narrated with an unusual flavor.