It is an autobiography of a teenager who grew up in an upper middle class home during the Nazi occupation of Holland. He emmigrated to Canada in 1948, working at any job that would facilitate his determination to become fluent in English and receive a university education. His career path led him into financial entrepreneurship as he influenced the growth and development of many well-known Canadian corporations. His work came to the attention of numerous government agencies and he travelled to many countries on behalf of the Canadian government. He shares much about himself and how his experiences have influence d his thinking on society and humanity. The suthor is a prodigious reader and student of the effects of history, politics, culture, and even religion on the growth of Canada and its role in International affairs. In countless ways, as a business man, a financial entrepreneur, a volunteer, an environmentalist and as a concerned citizen, Matthew Gaasenbeek 111 has contributed greatly to his adopted country and to humanity.