“Going through the pages of Mario Bunge’s autobiography is like traveling with him through dozens of different countries and delving into the intellectual, political, philosophical, and scientific realms of the past one hundred years. It is an experience that vacillates between two distinct worlds: the unfamiliar and the familiar, the expert and the amateur, and the professional and the personal.
It is a well-known fact that one of his greatest passions has been, and continues to be, scientific research. He has never wavered in his commitment to scientific work, teaching, research, and the development of male and female professionals in a wide range of fields. Life lessons fall out of this book like ripe fruit, bringing us closer to a concept, a philosophical idea, or a scientific digression that has since been uncovered in numerous notes, articles, or books. This book is like a fruit tree that bears life lessons.
In this book, Bunge writes about his life experiences with a lot of passion, naturalness, and a kind of colloquial frankness. These experiences include things like being persecuted, exiled, incarcerated, having successes, having would-be losses, having relationships, having debates, having impressions, or having opinions about people or things.
His writings introduce us to the individuals with whom he collaborated to produce a fruitful century of accomplishments and incredible levels of thought. Everything is recalled with the same combination of sincerity and humor.
This autobiography is really just Bunge talking about Bunge, sharing everything that, as he would put it, “passes through the sieve of his memory.”
At the age of 96, Mario gives us a book that has something for everyone: those who value the memories that hold the trauma of his life and those who share his passion for science and culture. Mario’s many grandchildren are a testament to his proud standing as a family man. Also, maybe for some people with whom he has had disagreements or controversy, because he still deserves recognition for being a staunch defender of his convictions, and they are the people with whom he has had those disagreements or controversy.”
