As a member of the "Soldiers of Light" he is considered to be part of an elite group of 600, which swears allegiance to no government and accepts no fee for their work.
Hubbard's book reveals much about human nature and the rich history of science fiction. His spaceships travel faster than the speed of light, yet the good doctor does all of his computations on his shirtsleeves. His data base is literally a drawer stuffed with torn of cuffs from his shirts. . .very strange.
Because the stories were written for a different audience, roughly half a century ago, and because they were run in a magazine format, they have very quick resolutions. Hubbard sets the story up excellently, but makes the solutions to the doctor's problems too simple.
But the reading goes quickly and when the book is done, one has the feeling that they have looked back into the past and seen a (or at least one person's) vision of the future. This refreshing feeling makes the book a worthwhile distraction from day-to-day life.