Across Many Borders: The Diary of a Wandering Explorer - Paperback

by Shyama P. Chakroborty (Author)

The book recounts the incredible life stories of the author starting with his life as a persecuted minority in the Indian subcontinent where he hopped across many geographical boundaries and socio-political- religious divides as a destitute refugee in search of his material and spiritual identity before coming to America with just $9.57 in his pocket. The transformation from destitute refugee to serving the National Academy of Science, the highest scientific body in the U.S.A, is in and of itself an extraordinary tale. The book chronicles many of his subsequent awe-inspiring successes in America as a pioneering rocket and space scientist, including serving on various committees of the venerable National Academy of Sciences and as an adventurer with many extraordinary exploits including swimming the English Channel, cosmonaut training and Mig 25 flying in Russia, trekking to the North Pole, climbing to the base camp of Mount Everest, and racing an Indy 500 car at the Fontana Speedway, among others. His life story is the embodiment of the indomitable human spirit that allowed him to rise from a life of despair as a destitute refugee to scale many extraordinary heights in widely divergent fields, proving that the sky is indeed the limit in America, the land of opportunity. The author examines the minority experiences in other troubled spots all around the world in his attempt to understand the social dynamics that play out with disastrous consequences. The book also provides a closer look at the world's contemporary religions, in an attempt to understand the immeasurable suffering mankind has endured as a result of intolerance and acrimony towards differing faiths. The book includes the author's observations and experiences about the cultural and philosophical differences between the Western and Eastern societies and how it leads to contrasting outlooks and day-to-day life in different cultures. 1