An Engineer’s 89-Year Journey of Memories

In this autobiography, the chapters outlining different themes are arranged chronologically. The book has two sections: Section 1 describes Alex’s life experiences and engineering career, and Section 2 describes his spiritual journey. The first chapters portray his young life in a very poor village in Northeast Scotland, without plumbing or electricity for the first twelve years. When Alex was four, Britain joined World War II.

Life after the war continued until he started work as an apprentice in a manufacturing factory, where he excelled in technical education. After his apprenticeship, he married and had two sons, later emigrating to Canada, where two daughters were added to the family. Alex’s career philosophy was shaped at twenty, when a personnel manager advised him to “change industries at least every five years,” a view reinforced by his belief that engineers “see a rough road and make it smooth,” not for themselves, because they move on to other challenges. He sought engineering challenges rather than hierarchical advancement, resulting in an exciting and successful career.

Alex’s family endured the deaths of two children and later his second daughter. Midway through his life, experiences prompted him to reflect on the purpose of life, leading to the development of his spirituality, which became a central focus.