AN UNCONVENTIONAL FATHER-SON BOND

“You’re just like your father.” Young boys around the world dream of being just like their dads when they grow up. Whether they’re looking forward to wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase to work or cheering for a favorite football team with their buddies on Sundays, most sons look to epitomize this male role model in their lives. But what if dad hangs out with gangsters and bookies and scalps tickets on a corner in Times Square? Although exciting, one boy knew he did not want to be just like dad.

Ronald F. Probstein grew up with the epitome of the American dream, a father who wanted to provide for his family. With a thriving 1930s New York City surrounding him, Ronald knew his father Sid would do whatever it took to create a safe and prosperous home for his wife and child. To Sid, it meant looking for the next big win, taking bets from gangsters and squandering his money on horse races. Ronald had faith in his father, but knew he wanted something better for his own future.

After graduating from NYU at the age of 20, Probstein went on to study at Princeton where he rubbed elbows with the likes of Albert Einstein and John Nash. An honored scientist, he has played a principle role in many milestone scientific achievements and has penned ten critically acclaimed scientific and technical books. In his newest book, Honest Sid, Probstein shares the story of his father, the bond they shared and his dream of making a name for himself in the future.

In an inspiring and exciting interview, Probstein can discuss:

* Family life during a thriving 1930s & Great Depression plagued New York City
* The underground world of gamblers, gangsters & speakeasies
* Growing up in horse parlors & transient hotels with heavyweight champ Joe Louis as part of his extended family
* Academic life at Ivy League schools with some of the most prominent minds in the academic world
* How to dream big when life starts off so small

Ronald F. Probstein was raised in the Times Square area of New York City where he spent his childhood days among gangsters and gamblers. His academic and scientific successes have earned him positions in the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the International Academy of Astronautics to name a few. A Ford Professor of Engineering, Emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Probstein has contributed to the areas of spacecraft and ballistic missile reentry physics, hypersonic flight theory and comet astrophysics

He resides in Brookline, MA with his wife, Irene. They have one child and three grandchildren.