The clarity of Robert Choulerton’s writing, and his informal, conversational style, make this book so accessible. It is a lucid and candid release into words of the private thoughts of an introvert - a compelling distillation of observations from a long life of reserve and passivity. His introspective faculty is brought to bear not only upon himself, but upon our species, Homo sapiens. He contemplates humanity from so many perspectives - from the parochial to the cosmic, from the wild to the civilized and from the pious to the secular. Critical of himself as well as of others, he never shies away from being contentious or polemical, but writes with a pleasing mix of playfulness and sincerity, with a keen eye for pretension and hypocrisy. With subject matter as various as motherhood, religious faith, sexual attraction, sports, multiculturalism, neighbourliness, sculpture and swear words, this book would make an entertaining and provocative ‘Reader’ for schools. It is full of human interest and educational value, full of ideas for pupils to think about, debate, and write about the very purposes, after all, for writing any book.