Time Out: A Fulbright Year of Travel, Adventure and Discovery in Great Britain and Europe

Robert and Fran Smith's well-told and thoroughly enjoyable tale about their professional and personal "Time Out" strikes many chords for the reader, to include addressing the timeless question of life's meaning. Not life at the scale of cosmic understanding, but for the individual and the couple moving through their lives and careers and hitting those moments when you simply ask "why", "why am I doing this", and "is this all there is"? We have all asked the question at least once, yet whether due to our professed commitments to career or family, or just out of fear, few have taken action. Robert and Fran are among those few who chanced and acted. The tale they share allows us to experience what this life change can mean in both personal and professional transformation. It gives us a unique glimpse of England and Europe finally recovering from a world war and on the doorstep of the sixty's social turmoil. It takes us on an intellectual, comparative journey through diverse criminal justice systems and the leaders defining those systems. For the "so what", we confirm through this one scholar's efforts and achievements how valuable opportunities like the Fulbright year can truly be for the individual and couple, and ultimately the international community. And perhaps, this tale may also prove valuable in aiding readers to find the courage to seize their "Time Out".