A child of humble beginnings, he paved the way for himself and achieved great things. But for John Louis Cimasi, the journey was far from your typical "rags to riches" tale.

Through a series of tragedies and triumphs, blunders and epiphanies, Cimasi's life has been filled with a number of unusual detours from the moment he left the family farm-including military misadventures, a decade as a stage playwright and producer, and a senior vice president position at Citibank.

Peppered with personal anecdotes and plenty of humor, "Vignettes from a Life: Living Wabi Sabi" is a testament to...