Congratulations to chapter member Peter W. Van Arsdale on the publication of his book: Encounters: 50 Fascinating Strangers From My Life on the Road(Amity Bridge, 2022).
While neither memoir nor autobiography per se, this book nonetheless covers half a century of personal encounters – most of them unexpected – across the globe. In these 50 vignettes, Peter vividly depicts the amazing individuals he has met, and the wisdom gained from these meetings. Covering such strangers as a New Guinea warrior, a moonwalker, a witch, a sheik, a slave, a genocide survivor, a land mine survivor, a resistance fighter, and the original Rain Man, Encounterstells remarkable tales.
Peter has, over his 50-year career as an anthropologist and humanitarian, worked or traveled on all seven continents, as well as within several major island groups. He is the co-founder of The Denver Hospice, the Rocky Mountain Survivors Center, and the Humanitarian Assistance Program at the University of Denver.
Although retired from the University in 2020, he remains active there as a Global Fellow. Many of his current projects involve Rotary International, while also advising on several other initiatives in East Africa. Among other awards, Van Arsdale was a 2021 recipient of the Rotary WASH Legacy Award, for his work in the international WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) field. (Available on Amazon).