This book is about a scientist's experiences while working in the tropics. His projects led him to adventures in Senegal, the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the island of Borneo, the northern Australian outback, Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands-where battles raged in WWII, the Cold War nuclear weapon test bed of the Marshall Islands, the tiny Islamic society of Addu Atoll in the Solomon Islands, and a host of places in India. The story spans nearly a half century and chronicles the authors growing awareness of human nature as he observed life in these diverse places and cultures.