Bob McDonald is a regular part of my life, though he has no idea that I exist. I listen to his CBC radio program Quirks & Quarks every week and I enjoy his interviews with scientists who are doing interesting research. He makes it enjoyable (although he has a distressing tendency toward dad jokes). So when I heard that he had published a memoir, I immediately placed a hold at the library.
I am even more impressed with the man now. He has overcome a lot of disadvantages and still ended up very successful in his chosen field, science education. He is a man with limited formal education who has educated himself, especially about astronomy, space, and space exploration. I remember on the radio show that celebrated a milestone for Bob, one of the scientists who contributed confessed that they all strove to avoid Bob's patented clarification phrase: Let's see if I've got this right…. An immediate sign that they hadn't communicated clearly enough.
Mind you, there were some chapters that were tough sledding for me. There was a whole chapter on the various motorcycles McDonald had owned. Important to him, but a snooze for me. And then, Goddess help me, an entire section on his sail boats and sailing adventures, about which I couldn't care less. But if I was to write a memoir, it would include a lot of birding adventures that would bore casual readers, so I get that the bikes and the boats are a vital part of his identity.
For fans of the show, this is a highly recommended read. Anyone unfamiliar with Bob McDonald probably won't be interested.
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