This is a wonderfully introspective book, written by the intellectually driven Prof. Post. There are similarities to 'Remembrance of Things Past', by Marcel Proust. The obvious exceptions are Post's evident heterosexuality and the length of the works. Post is continually in search for his identity and his role in the world, which is apparently a dynamic of his life. The level of detail is at times a bit overwhelming, especially in his military sojourn in Germany, although this is also a crucial episode, not only in his life, but in the search for meaning of 'the cold war son'. He has a most wonderful interaction with his close knit family and his constant search for the meaning of his mother's psychological collapse during and post WWII, appears to be a driving force in his search for the meaning of his life. This is truly a gripping rendition of a man's struggle with his own psychology and a glimpse of the world events surrounding his formative years of identity.