Farley Mowat's outrageous memoir begins with his unlikely conception in a canoe and follows a childhood full of adventure. Piloted by a father with itchy feet and adventurous whims, the Mowats move frequently, finally leaving Ontario for Saskatoon. Small, bookish, and ill at ease in a hockey rink, Farley is most at home in the natural world. Wherever he finds himself, the world of the "Others" -- the wild birds, brotherly dogs, rapidly multiplying rats, and many other creature-companions -- is always close at hand, inspiring hilarity, curiosity, and ultimately a life's work.