MY GOOD LIFE is a short memoir. Dr. Gregory M. Lee’s childhood was spent in Chicago in the 1950s. His family was poor; they lacked a car, and Lee went without proper clothes or food at times, but the impression given is of a loving and nurturing household. A gifted child, he read comic books avidly and gained an interest in classical music—even skipping grades due to his aptitude. The latter meant that he was smaller than other boys in his class, which led to bullying; Lee solved the problem by giving as good as he got, learning a valuable life lesson about standing up to others.

As a Black man, Lee’s father was skeptical of Lee’s ambition to go to college in an America rife with racial discrimination. But Lee discovered he could continue his education via the United States Armed Forces Institute, and enrolled at a local college near his air force base while working his way up the ranks. Lee soon found himself working as a missile launch officer, gaining the rank of captain by 1977.

The opening chapters of MY GOOD LIFE offer insights into Lee’s motivations. Like many gifted children from poorer backgrounds, Lee understood what it meant to excel, but notes that he failed to receive the guidance he needed when it came to higher education. His decision to join the Air Force is described not exactly as a fait accompli, but as a natural corollary to this uncertainty of the correct way forward. Lee notes wryly that it was met by disbelief from his father, who had never envisaged his son embarking on a military career. The burdensome nature of expectation—be it familial, social, or personal—weighs heavily in these passages.

Lee’s writing style is economical, placing emphasis on his education and career. In one sense, this is limiting; the opening chapters and the post-retirement material aside, there is surprisingly little about Lee’s personal life. However, Lee seems to intuit that the most noteworthy part of his story is the manner in which he managed his Air Force career and studies, and so concentrates on that. This is wise; a 20-page chapter towards the end of the book on astrophotography is underwhelming, as is the material on video games. But Lee’s career is an interesting one, and it's a testament to the success that can issue when one has an inquiring mind (and oodles of self-confidence).

Tightly focused on academic and professional achievement, MY GOOD LIFE is an engrossing look at Dr. Gregory M. Lee's life in the Air Force and IT industry.

~ Craig Jones for IndieReader