Lester “Mike” Pearson was an extraordinary politician. He was also an extraordinary athlete, diplomat, leader, teacher, writer and student. And yet, despite all of this, and, the fact that during his lifetime he was the world’s best known Canadian, many are today unaware of the important role he played in creating modern Canada with its enviable social programs and economic safeguards.

Andrew Cohen’s biography of Pearson, part of Penguin’s Extraordinary Canadians series, sets out to rectify this as it explores the various, successful lives this man led, and the contributions he made both to the building of Canada and world peace.