Pluck & Luck: The Tragedies and Triumphs of a Free Canadian by Harvey Sawler is the authorized biography of Toronto-born impresario, promoter, salesman, and thoroughbred horseman John Uren.

Pluck and luck. Do and dare. Risk and reward. Work and win. And lose. Uren's life was a theatrical production of drama and comedy, heroes and heroines, songs and soliloquies. He was the Forrest Gump of Canada - manically on the move, unexpectedly at the happenings and constantly in the company of a celebrity, from sporting greats, to Joni Mitchell, to Marlene Dietrich, to Shakespearean stars.

And always in the background, a symphony of tragedy that shattered his upper-middle-class family, in endless rivalry with a life-defining melody and accompanying lyrics: life is no abyss...somewhere there's a bluebird of happiness.