J.E. Gilbert grew up during the Great Depression and went on to become a successful mining engineer. He traveled the world for his work and met a variety of colorful characters in Alaska, Mexico and Central America, among other places. This largely autobiographical series of vignettes was inspired almost exclusively from events the author witnessed personally and adventures he experienced first-hand. "This Life of Mine" captures the grimness, wildness and unpredictability of an era when times were tough and people were tougher. Gilbert's simple yet masterful style of storytelling frequently leads the reader to expect one outcome, only to be surprised by the often dark twists and turns encountered upon reaching a story's conclusion. Set loosely in chronological order, from his boyhood in Utah to his experiences as an adult, these very human narratives are written with honesty, humor and a sense of preserving the past.