Angell s fluid prose and native curiosity make him an amiable and compelling companion on the page. The book gathers together essays, letters, light verse, book reviews, "Talk of the Town" stories, farewells, haikus, profiles, Christmas greetings, and late thoughts on the costs of war. Whether it s a Fourth of July in rural Maine, a beloved British author at work, Derek Jeter s departure, the final game of the 2014 World Series, an all-dog opera, editorial exchanges with John Updike, or a letter to a son, what links the pieces is the author s perceptions and humor, his utter absence of self-pity, and his appreciation of friends and colleagues writers, ballplayers, editors, artists encountered over the course of a full and generous life."