What makes a man move from wrongdoing to do-gooding? From thieving to philosophizing? In the case of Bird it was the pursuit of art. It was the drawing of women in bedrooms and art rooms, on beaches and in bed and breakfasts. Bird grew civilized through his pursuits, moving on to found an international movement that works with troubled people: ex offenders, drunkards and rough sleepers like himself. All because as a locked up boy he started to use art as a kind of thinking. This book represents some of the chapters in that life that helped turn him around, and equipped him with the means to help thousands like him. Redemptionism at its best. Read these raw stories, full of rude, rough and riotous truths, and enjoy a life that makes sense for many of us. John Bird: I was born into poverty, brought up in care, and have lived through a lot. My life’s journey has included spells as a thief, prison inmate, artist and poet. I launched The Big Issue  in 1991 with the help of Gordon Roddick of The Body Shop in response to the growing number of rough sleepers on the streets of London. Together we believed that the key to solving the problem of homelessness lay in helping people to help themselves, and were therefore determined to offer a legitimate alternative to begging. I have always drawn, I have always felt a need to draw, and I feel that only by doing so have I been able to save my soul.