In this compulsively readable book John Button reflects on the patterns in his life, from growing up in his father's house in Ballarat to his days as a Cabinet Minister in the Hawke and Keating Labor governments. He is a natural storyteller who writes memorably about his childhood, his school days and his emerging political allegiances. Button paints a vivid picture of life inside parliament before he became Minister for Industry and Commerce in 1983, a job he was to hold for ten years. In recounting the challenges he faced Button always understands that politics is just one part of life. In this fascinating, stylish and hilarious memoir, he writes honestly about how politics works and why it often fails to work.