This book was derived from a talk that the author gave at the International Conference on Advanced Nanodevices and Nanotechnology in Hawaii. The book is about science and engineering, but is not on science and engineering. It is not a textbook which develops the understanding of a small part of the field, but a book about random encounters and about the strengths and the foibles of living as a physicist and engineer for half a century. It presents the author's personal views on science, engineering, and life and is illustrated by a number of lively stories about various events, some of which shaped his life. Written in a style that is at once lucid and engaging, this is an outstanding work that weaves the many threads of science into a rich tapestry.

David K. Ferry is Regents' Professor in the School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering at Arizona State University. He is also graduate faculty in the Department of Physics and the Materials Science and Engineering program at ASU, as well as a visiting professor at Chiba University in Japan. He came to ASU in 1983 following shorter stints at Texas Tech University, the Office of Naval Research, and Colorado State University. In the distant past, he received his doctorate from the University of Texas, Austin, and spent a postdoctoral period at the University of Vienna, Austria. He enjoys teaching (which he refers to as "warping young minds") and research. The latter is focused on semiconductors, particularly as they apply to nanotechnology and integrated circuits, as well as quantum effects in devices. In 1999, he received the Cledo Brunetti Award from the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, and is a Fellow of this group as well as the American Physical Society and the Institute of Physics, UK. He has been a Tennessee Squire since 1971 and an admiral in the Texas Navy since 1973.