"In this encompassing biography of the prolific fantasy and science-fiction author, writer and comedian Burrows details both the writing accomplishments and the personal life of Sir Terry Pratchett. With his start as an amateur astronomer, Pratchett's journey to his love of books was encouraged by his mother, Eileen, who bribed him with a copy of Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows . This led to an adventure to the Beaconsfield Library and an after-school job that gave him access to a cornucopia of material to feed his young mind and his budding writer's imagination. In the summer of 1959, Pratchett wrote a short story for his school magazine about an advertising executive asked by the devil to improve hell's reputation. This began an epic life of creating stories and books for both children and adults, and his path to joining the sf/fantasy community--there he found his people. His first work for children, The Carpet People , led to the 41-volume Discworld series. By the time of his death in 2015, Pratchett enriched generations of readers with his comedic, fantastical works. Burrows spoke to friends and family, and this biography has moments of sadness, especially when discussing Pratchett's fight with Alzheimer's.

But the book is also funny and conversational in tone, and an excellent tribute to a beloved author.".