This is the remarkable autobiography of a Scottish son of the manse, blinded in one eye, the consequences of a rugby accident and educated in Edinburgh. Does this sound familiar? He suffered abuse but turned that dark episode of his youth into a life of humanitarian service in Africa, Asia and Scotland. This head of department, until illness caused him to retire, found a new life as an author of eclectic books. He confronted Usama bin Laden in Pakistan and brought an African Head of State to tears. Yet tears of laughter make this one of the most heart warming autobiographies to come out of Scotland for a very long time.