In this account, you could say that Glenn Martin’s life has been unfortunate. His father died when he was sixteen. He nearly lost his leg after a motorcycle accident when he was twenty-three. His relationships were all disastrous. And his attempts at forging a career were haphazard. He spent many years in the bush, being a hippie, and then striving to be a member of the local community. Along the way, he carved out worthy projects in community development.

Then, when his work was sabotaged, he turned to university, and eventually left with an Honours degree and the University Medal. It was after this accomplishment that his career really began. He became a commentator on management, employment law, business ethics, and training and development. And he began to write and publish books.

He has produced over twenty books: on ethics, reflections on experience, family history, and collections of poetry. Was it a quest for a field of competence? Glenn would modify that answer. He holds that there are four pillars of life: competence, morality (ethics), beauty and love. In this book he charts his course to that understanding, including his experiences of music and the Woodford Folk Festival. At times harsh, this story is one to savour and enjoy.