Jeremy Akerman’s no-holds-barred memoir, running from his childhood in Wales to archaeological digs in Cape Breton, into and out of the political arena, and through his career as an actor, offers a look, both searing and hilarious, at a life well-spent.

Akerman grew up in Wales, studied painting, and gained skills in several fields and a strong sense of the need for political change as a young man. He emigrated to Canada as a young man and soon became involved in provincial politics. He lead the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party from 1968 to 1980. He then joined the Conservative government as head of Intergovernmental Affairs.

He tells the story of his rise and sometimes bumpy passage through the Nova Scotia government, and how, on ending his career in politics, he began another celebrated one on stage and in movies.

The book includes a rogue’s gallery of Akerman’s trenchant and sometimes hilarious evaluations of politicians and actors, and a look at the current state of politics and society from the vantage point of nearly eight decades of observing and doing.