In a lively, personal style with self-deprecating humor, Richardson traces the evolution of his worldview from his prep school days and service as a World War II paratrooper through a lifetime in pursuit of a better world. After starting as a lawyer (Sullivan & Cromwell) and investment banker (Paine Webber), he moved on to public service. His book recounts his eight years as CEO of Radio Free Europe, touching on its ties to the CIA, and his later service as assistant secretary of state for educational and cultural affairs, CEO of Youth for Understanding, chair of the National Endowment for Democracy, and board member of numerous educational and service organizations. In between, other interests and sometimes self-assumed tasks focused on Poland and on refugees, initially sparked by his energetic response to the 1956 Hungarian uprising. He is a cofounder of the Council for a Community of Democracies.