Includes index

Memory -- 410 East Washington -- My people -- My old man -- My mother -- St. Mary's -- Dan-Dan the yo-yo man -- Summer -- Car, table, counter, or TakHomaSak -- Blackie -- My vocation -- Newspaper days -- High school -- University -- The Daily Illini -- My trip to Hollywood -- Cape Town -- London Peramulating -- Eyrie Mansion -- All by myself alone -- Sun-Times -- My new job -- Zonka -- McHugh -- O'Rourke's -- Leisure of the theory class -- Alcoholism -- Books do furnish a room -- Russ Meyer -- The interviewer -- Lee Marvin -- Robert Mitchum -- Big John Wayne -- "Irving! Brang 'em on!" -- Ingmar Bergman -- Martin Scorcese -- "Fiddle on the corner where the quarters are" -- "I wasn't popular when people thought I was popular" -- Werner Herzog -- Bill Nack -- The sweetest set of wheels in town -- Gene Siskel -- Jugular -- The talk shows -- When I laughed in study hall -- My romances -- Chaz -- Good news and bad news -- Nil by mouth -- Putting a new face on things -- High school reunion -- Studs -- My last words -- How I believe in God -- Go gently

The film critic best known for his "Chicago Sun-Times" reviews and his thirty years as co-host of "Siskel & Ebert at the Movies" describes his life and career, including his recovery from alcoholism and the complications from thyroid cancer treatment