A Life of Learning and Other Pleasures

John Meisel, beloved Queen’s professor, public intellectual, and gifted raconteur, has penned a spellbinding memoir. The story begins in 1923 in Vienna as John recounts his early schooling and traces his family’s escape from war-torn Europe. This vividly recounted journey winds through Eindhoven, Casablanca, Rio de Janeiro, Panama, and Port-au-Prince and culminates with his family’s arrival in Toronto, where a Canadian immigration officer’s welcome forever colours John’s perception of his new home. Joining Queen’s in 1949, his tale continues with an engaging portrait of Canadian university life during the last sixty years. He provides a revealing insider’s view of the CRTC (which he chaired), and describes the experiences of a Canadian professor straddling university and government cultures. Astonishing in its depth and influence, the tale is told in the wise and witty voice of this singularly remarkable man. Praise for A Life of Learning…