This is not the main text; if you're not interested, simply proceed to the next chapter. Since I've made it onto the Sanjiang recommendation list and am thrilled about it, I presume no one will read the typical acknowledgement blurb I would write, so instead, I'm sharing a short story to spice things up.
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David Charles had devoted most of his life to biology. His destiny to be trapped in this field for life was sealed from the very moment he peered through a microscope at the age of 7 and saw those floating specks. At 15, he was deep in contemplation over genetic sequences; at 30, he was darting through cellular biology; and by 40, he had made a sensational splash in the biological community.
Now, scholars from all over the world traveled thousands of miles just to attend one of David's lectures. A mere two hours with the slightly stooped, bearded 55-year-old was enough to provide months of conversations in the lab with colleagues.
