The author looks back on his childhood in the early oilfields and on a farm in central Missouri. The chronology includes tales about a kidnapping, a visit by two presidents, a hospital seduction and a student demonstration. After graduating from college as an engineer and as a Navy officer, he served in Aruba when it had one of the world’s largest refineries. His lifelong interest in religion and theology is expressed in a compelling chapter on personal philosophy. It makes for lively reading.