The author of this memoir is a retired economic geologist who was privileged to work for several mining companies in the fields of metals and energy. He was also employed by the Illinois State Geological Survey and by the Foreign Section of the US Geological Survey and taught one year at the Wisconsin School of Mines between jobs.

His first love was minerals exploration and he was very successful as he found a major reserve of zinc in SW Wisconsin, a very good uranium mine in New Mexico, and several large strip coal reserves in the Western and Central United States. His ability as an airplane pilot served him well, particularly in his work on western coals. The variety of his work experience makes for numerous interesting stories and many insightful geological observations. He was about to embark on a career as a pitcher in professional baseball when he received a scholarship to the University of Chicago and discovered geology.