After the Fascist racial laws of 1938, the author's parents and brothers went into exile from their comfortable upper-middle-class life in Italy. They settled first in France and subsequently in the United States. where George was born in 1945. He grew up speaking Italian, English and French in a multicultural household that divided its time between the US and post-war Italy. This background together with a rigorous scientific education positioned him for academic and business success. In this series of essays, he reflects on his personal life experiences and his family's history to distill the fundamental values that shaped his life. His story is told from the unique perspective of one who was "native" on both sides of the Atlantic and thus could view national cultures and events as both a local participant and an outside observer.
This book is a collection of twenty six autobiographical essays on six broad themes:
- Growing up in America while holding on to his Italian Hebrew roots
- Uncovering and dealing with what makes him "different"
- Surviving formal and informal schooling
- Gaining a real education.
- Achieving success in several lines of work
- Indulging his Alpine- and Riviera-inspired love for the mountains and the sea