Autobiography of a Book Man: The Life Story of John Dexter Nilsson (Paperback)

Dex Nilsson grew up in his adopted home town of Michigan City during the Depression, won a scholarship to a prestigious New England prep school (Phillips Academy at Andover), learned to write in college (Purdue), got in the Army during the Korean War (spent in Alabama), took a job in Huntsville in the early days of rockets and space travel, then joined General Electric at the beginning of the computer era. He married Nancy Mitchell and they spent 40 years in community theatre. He wrote books that got published; she wrote plays that got produced. Then, among their many trips, they visited Italy, a visit that started Dex on a religious journey. At 86, he can look back on the turning points and decisions of his life, realizing they were somehow guided by God. Dex writes in much detail (which is why the book is so thick) but with love for family and friends, the ability to observe the absurdities of life, and much humor. Reading his story should prove worth the effort, and his final observations might cause you to take a moment and reflect upon your own life.