IN THIS ENGAGING autobiographical account, Jeff Pack subjects himself to a few sessions of self-analysis, revisiting various events that shaped his life and the people who influenced him.

Not surprisingly, most important among these were his mother and father, whose contrasting personalities are, respectively, ‘the mystery and ‘the open book' of the title, with Jeff himself cast as ‘the boy’.

When older family members provide Jeff with fresh insights into his parents’ formative years and their relationship as a couple, this in turn leads him to reflect upon his own youthful memories of family life.

After undertaking a journey of introspection, involving a variety of analytical processes, Jeff reveals what he has learnt about himself and others.

Whilst his conclusions are inevitably personal, his methods provide a useful template for anyone wishing to embark on a similar voyage of self-discovery.