For most of that time, I've also been a keen gardener, but for many years I failed to make the connection between gardening and science.

FORTRAN was the language of choice for the same reason that three-legged races are popular.

I wanted to have virtual memory, at least as it's coupled with file systems.

In college, before video games, we would amuse ourselves by posing programming exercises.

That brings me to Dennis Ritchie. Our collaboration has been a thing of beauty.

I still have a full-time day job, which is why it took me five years to write An Ear to the Ground, and why I won't have another book finished by next week.

The average gardener probably knows little about what is going on in his or her garden.