In the last decade of his life, Leacock turned to writing informal essays that blended humour with a conversational style and ripened wisdom to address the issues he cared about most -- education, literature, economics, Canada and its place in the world -- and to confront the joys and sorrows of his own life. With an introduction that sets them in the context of his life, thoughts and times, these essays reveal a passionate, intelligent, personal Leacock, against a backdrop of Depression and war, finding hope and conveying the timeless message that only the human spirit can bring social justice, peace, and progress.