In Experience , Ron Briggs gives the reader a glimpse of the life he lived in rural upstate New York as a child growing up in the 1950s and 1960s. In Part One of the book, he shares some of the games and other activities in which he, his family, and contemporaries participated, in those rough and tumble times before modern sophistication changed the lives of everyday Americans. Experience illustrates some of the ways children of the time occupied themselves on a very meager budget, yet had rewarding outcomes and learned skills necessary to move into a bigger world. Part Two follows Ron through some of his harrowing life experiences that may easily have resulted in tragedy, but rather, the reader is treated to the lighter side of those events. He captures the gravity of each situation and celebrates the eventual outcome.