Bob Calkin considers himself a lucky man. Too young for both world wars and entering the workforce in the '50s and '60s, New Zealand gave working-class men like him tremendous opportunities.
He thrived as a lawyer and businessman until he didn't, committed fraud and was sent to prison.
Surrounded by disaffected young men, he worked on a PhD to better understand a wave of crime and alienation that continues today.
He offers his unique perspective as well as hope in his new book, Tales from the Lucky Generation: The Rise, Fall and Redemption of a Kiwi Working-class 'Hero' and the Stories that Shaped His Life.
Tales from the Lucky Generation book cover Photo: supplied
