In a collection of 45 short stories, extracted from his journals, the author chronicles people from his early years in a small rural town and later in his 50-year working life in the wider world. He highlights people who provide expert assistance in times of need and other interesting people, who appear unexpectedly in odd circumstances. Two of these appear as the author suffers engine failures in small aircraft in the mountain west, one of them at night. Although a few obstreperous misfits appear along the way, the reader will close the book with upbeat feelings about fellow human beings....