Everyone has reasons to remember their childhood including the friends and family members who remain with us long after they have died. In Waving Back, the author makes a humorous and engaging attempt to communicate with the deceased parents who helped him make his way through life. A fast read, it is an entertaining, intriguing chronicle of a family's brief time together, of missed opportunities and sacrifices made, of a family the way they were and the way they are today. Dear Mom and Dad: It has been more than sixty years since your deaths. As a child, I didn't fully appreciate the...

People have many pre-conceived ideas about Africa, many of which are a long way from the truth. People also have many pre-conceived ideas about Voluntary Service Overseas and its volunteers. Many of these ideas are also wrong. Volunteers are skilled professionals looking to make a small difference in an unfair world.

Volunteers discover many things, both about themselves and the world they inhabit. Some of these things are good and some are bad. Volunteers also meet many new people, about whom the same rules apply.

One thing that every volunteer will tell you is that the experience...