In a parliamentary career spanning 18 years, culminating in his position as the minister for finance and deregulation in the Rudd-Gillard governments, Lindsay Tanner always talked straight, and was always worth reading or listening to. In this edited selection of Tanner's press articles, speeches, and occasional essays from 1990 to 2012, he discusses a range of major subjects: Labor's problems and prospects; globalisation and its discontents; the family ties that bind; facing up to important values; the need for compassion; and lessons from his own life. Whether the subject matter is economic, political, or personal, his range of interests and insights is remarkable and his thoughtfulness and humanity shines through every page