My Life in Words and Numbers

George Orwell reportedly said that “Autobiography is only to be trusted when it reveals something disgraceful.” I've done my best to eliminate any disgraceful episodes from the following account, thereby compromising its trustworthiness. What's left is a record of someone lucky enough to ( a) find a career as a demographer that was ideally suited to his affinity for writing and math and ( b) find institutions and individuals who vigorously and...