The Work is a collection of eleven short stories that highlight memorable incidents in the life of our fictional protagonist, William King. William King was only ten years old at the time of the first incident and a teenager in the next three stories that have him gaining a thirst for wisdom and journeying to other lands and cultures. The three short stories of Kings early twenties reveal a dedication to literature together with a continued urge to travel. By his middle and late twenties, William King has settled on an academic career in archaeology as glimpsed through an account of events set down in the next two short stories. The final two stories highlight incidents associated with the mounting of archaeological expeditions in foreign lands at a time when William King was in the prime of his academic career.