The family, as a rule, consists of marital, or extramarital partner, child in wedlock, out of wedlock, adopted, stepchild, and child taken in to be supported, father, mother, stepfather, stepmother, grandfather, grandmother (on both father's and mother's side), and brothers and sisters of spouses.

And my mother, brave lady, was partly to blame, taking me to the New York Natural History Museum, buying me books on snakes, and then starting this infamous career of mine, which has culminated in of course, arriving in India 60 years ago, brought by my mother, Doris Norden, and my stepfather, Rama Chattopadhyaya.