Without a Compass is a memoir about a free-spirited second born male of a family whose parents wanted a girl and had only picked out a girl's name before his birth. Lex, raised by disengaged World War II parents, divorced when he was four. Surrounded by alcohol with his first stepfather and the rest of his family, he was very lonely and had no guidance to direct him or keep him safe and out of trouble. As a young boy he learned how to achieve his goals and teach himself whatever he needed to do. Chapter by chapter Lex writes his story about his journey of dangerous choices, always wondering how he endured his blunders. He learned the hard way all alone, he thought, until he realized he was never alone. He had the perfect mentor guiding him all along.