This book is based on an in-depth conversation between Howard Burton and Teofilo Ruiz, Professor Emeritus of History at UCLA. Teo Ruiz is a scholar of the social and popular cultures of late medieval and early modern Spain and the Western Mediterranean. He received the University’s Distinguished Teaching Award and was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Barack Obama for his “inspired teaching and writing”. This wide-ranging conversation provides captivating insights into his Cuban origins, how he became a professional historian, the challenges and excitement of teaching, and what the future might hold for historical research..This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, In the Marrow, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:I. The Terror of History - The story of a bookII. Becoming a Historian- From Cuba to City College to NYU to PrincetonIII. Historical Ruminations - Meditations on the bigger pictureIV. Progress? - Do we actually learn from the past?V. Connecting - Technology and personal factorsVI. Looking Ahead - Pondering history’s futureAbout Ideas Roadshow Conversations:This book is part of a series of 100 Ideas Roadshow Conversations. Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research featuring world-leading researchers but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.