MY CURIOUS LIFE

Continuous curiosity propels Danna’s life and career in this memoir.

In the prologue, the author describes his memoir as “a collection of stories, reflections, calls to action, and hard-earned insights,” addressing the book to his two young grandsons to share his life story and strongly held values with them (“So, my grandkids have a record of Grandpa”). The narrative is divided into four sections. The first (“If My Life Were a Play”) gives an overview of his life—his Italian immigrant heritage, suburban childhood, education (he holds graduate degrees in both physics and environmental engineering), and career—as Danna speculates about what the future will hold for his grandkids. The remaining sections focus on other aspects of the author’s life and values, including reflections on being an intellectual and business leader, understanding his own personality, his personal “guiding principles,” art, music, politics (liberal), religion (skeptic), and more. Identifying as a “boomer,” Danna has certainly led an eventful life. He describes visiting the 1965 New York World’s Fair 17 times, protesting the Vietnam War as a college student, serving as a U.S. Navy officer and instructor at its Nuclear Power School, getting a pilot’s license, training and consulting at commercial nuclear power plants and government facilities, being a business executive and an early adopter of technology, witnessing several solar eclipses, and traveling throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Along the way, he also was married and divorced twice, had a daughter, and entered a third long-term relationship; aside from some expressions of regret over the lack of balance between his work and personal life, the book provides minimal details about these relationships. A selection of images enlivens the text, ranging from family and travel photos to items of memorabilia such as concert programs and military insignia. Finally, an epilogue provides “Lyrics to Songs that Reflect Who I Am,” a list of selected technical publications and presentations, and the author’s sarcastic comments on four Bible stories that he finds outrageous.

Danna’s writing style is direct and straightforward, casual and conversational. Rather than offering flowery descriptions, even his most exciting and moving experiences are simply recorded as “amazing,” “incredible,” or “pretty cool.” He explains the scientific concepts underlying such events as the nuclear reactor accident at Three Mile Island and various solar eclipses succinctly and clearly, as befits his training and presenting career, and he describes art and music in terms of personal meaning. Danna’s humor shows in lines like “we partied like it was 1999. Actually, it was 1999.” The book’s structure, which presents overviews of subjects followed by deeper dives on specific topics, sometimes feels like summarizing, and the narrative jumps back and forth in time. However, it’s easy to follow, and the approach permits the author to express some very pointed opinions and include such extras as “The Humanist Ten Commandments,” a list of the organizations he supports, and a description of a visit from his grandsons. Again and again, Danna emphasizes the importance of curiosity, asking questions, thinking critically, and sticking to principles.

An engaging, curiosity-driven journey from the 1960s to the present.