With engaging humour and a philosophy forged through challenging and changing times, Peter John Dorrell invites us into his rich kaleidoscope of a lifetime's adventures. From a working-class background in post-war London, the author leads us through a fascinating journey of reflections on relationships and a varied career in the printing trade, sales and the civil service. Experiences of national service play their part in forming character and broadening horizons. There is refreshing honesty as adversity, frustration and despair present challenges in the search for personal fulfilment. The author regularly finds solace in verse as events compel him to transfer observations into poetry. In this insightful, 'warts and all' evaluation of both the personal and the international scene, the reader is compelled to evaluate the world afresh and embark on a rare and rewarding voyage through the 'university of life'.