In Chasing Shadows Rama takes us on the odyssey of his life, a journey that has led to his reputation today as a scholar with impeccable credentials. He has published several scholarly books, academic articles in both English and Kannada, has delivered papers across the world, and devoted a good deal of his mental energies to the study of, and translation of, Kannada oral epics. His many accomplishments are evidence of the rigorous logic of his mind, but his road has not been an easy one. His life is a reminder that epic struggles confront us all.

.......As one looks back on his or her life, it's natural to wonder, "What does it all mean? What's the final meaning of our lives?" Rama does suggest a meaningful life gives back more to society than it has taken from it. And his life certainly has done just that. We all try to find a comforting answer to life's meaning - a memoir on one level is a search for that answer. But the title Rama has chosen for his memoir, Chasing Shadows, reminds us that answers are never finally definitive. The shadow is an image of substance just as the memoir is an image of one's life. Shifting perspectives alter the shadow. Perhaps the most conclusive thing we can say here at the end is that, as with many epic journeys, conflict and struggle have finally led home.