"Catching the Wave" is the autobiography of a lad raised in Southern California who dreamed of living in Paris. He achieved that dream and a decade later earned a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University. His subsequent career alternated between advising the governments of developing countries and teaching in American universities. He has devoted the past fifteen years to research in French economic history. His wife, Nathalie Ostroot, earned a PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago. She was a professor for 30 years before retiring to France with her husband. Her research focuses on the socio-economic history of women in Provence. Their furry friends Ginger, a golden retriever, and Pierrot, a "tuxedo cat," accompany them wherever they go and share their aperitif hour each evening.