At the outset, the members of author Christopher T. Rand's family lived in a world of great wealth. They were among the richest people in the United States. But they then faced a dilemma: compelled to choose between staying on in their ancestral world or keeping up with the times in the nation around them and integrating themselves into the American mainstream. With each generation, the pressure on these individuals to choose between escape or immersion into the society became more and more intense.

In "Silver Diaspora," Rand examines his family's roots in the northeastern United States and chronicles his journey through these times, against the backdrop of the family history. Embarking on a search of a better new world, Rand's parents leave the East Coast and land in California. From here, this memoir follows Rand through college at Berkeley, travels abroad, work in the petroleum industry and his experiences as a writer.

Describing the people, places and experiences that impacted Rand's life, "Silver Diaspora" provides one man's insight into the world in the latter two-thirds of the last century.