The Art of Belonging: A Memoir.

An entertaining memoir packed full of adventure and controversy documenting the colourful, rich and active life of a truly remarkable man. In "The Art of Belonging", the distinguished scientist, Dr Robert Cahn gives readers a frank, yet balanced picture of his varied and accomplished life. Beginning with his family's audacious escape from Nazi Germany to a new life in England, these events set the scene for this incredible story. Dr Cahn's long and illustrious academic career has taken him all over the world and resulted in numerous honours and distinctions. He writes engagingly and with affection of his time spent and the characters he met in the world of Materials Science. He recalls, amid the challenges of academic life, the foundation of Sussex University, the vibrant department he created there and its sad decline, a victim of politics and shortsighted cuts in government funding. But what runs through this book is the theme and importance of belonging - to England after years as a Nazi refugee, to a loving family, to the boundless world of science and to the community of those who appreciate art. This ability to belong, to be a part of something, has provided him with the stability and security to enable him to be what he is today: A Grand Old Man of Science.