Memoirs of a Manic

Despite being Bipolar and having a severe Learning Disability I earned a PhD in Environmental Chemistry and became a Full Professor at The University of Toronto. This book, Memoirs of a Manic, consists of 61 mainly humorous short stories related to events that occurred during my improbably successful career which includes publication of 6 research oriented Books by major Science Publishers and 120 peer reviewed research papers.

These are non technical and in large part amusing tales that unfolded through experiences relating to events at the University of Toronto and as a Consultant for organizations such as PACE, The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, UNESCO and the World Bank. Many occurred while living, teaching and working for short periods in a variety of jurisdictions on 6 Continents.

I had no intention of writing this material down in any form until I gave in to the insistence that I do so by colleagues, friends and acquaintances. They supposed that wider dispersal of this material was warranted and would prove notably entertaining to the general public.

It’s difficult to find much humor in the news of the day. Thus I propose that many chronicles in this collection of short stories may provide a view of the lighter side here and there in our earthly environment. Even the few that carry a more serious perspective are written in a manner that suggests hope for worldly problems.

The brevity of these narratives should be appealing. Being able to read something of worth and of good humor now and then during a break in the work day should also be entreating.