As a child, the only thing I knew about my dad’s occupation was that he was doctor, but not the kind that helps people.  As I grew up, I could tell people he was a plant pathologist, but I had no idea what this meant.  Eventually I started to get a broad idea of what my dad did at work, and that it had something to do with using chemicals to get rid of weeds growing in canals and ponds.  Little did I know, he was actually the guy inventing the chemicals.

My dad takes pride in everything he does, but he is not proud as in arrogant and therefore I understand why I didn’t know some of the interesting stories he tells in his book, FROM THE COTTON PATCH TO PH.D.  But then again, what child knows all about their parents every interaction in life?  His trips to the Panama Canal Zone as a world renowned scientist, his negotiations with the colonel utilizing his quick thinking, and his interactions with the EPA are so wonderfully written, I felt like I was there with the scientists giving their presentation to the demanding colonel.  The suspense built as I read on, and for a moment I felt panic, then exuberance as he wittingly escaped the wrath of the colonel’s temper.  And if you think scientists are boring, well let me tell you, this book is anything but boring!  My bet is once you pick it up you won’t be able to put it down.

My father, Wendell R. Arnold, skillfully shares many of his adventures in his book, FROM THE COTTON PATCH TO PH.D.  And his adventures involve a lot more than just being a scientist.  Clear your summer reading schedule and get ready for its release in June.  And spread the news!