The son of an Englishman and a Puerto Rican, Williams was exposed to many languages and to the best of literature at a young age. He grew up having a great deal of curiosity in all sorts of subjects. Though he discovered that he loved to write poetry early in life, Williams recognized that he needed to have a profession that would give him a means to live. As he had a deep interest in the sciences, Williams chose to become a doctor, and thus was born the poet doctor who wrote prolifically and who astonished the literary world with his work. The author of this wonderful book has brought together an enormous amount of information and put it together to give the reader a vibrant and interesting picture of the life of a remarkable man. We are able to hear William's own voice as we look at the photographs of the places he saw. We are able to read his poems and perhaps understand better where the ideas behind them came from, because we now know that much more about his life and the landmark events that took place in it. Subtle watercolor illustrations provide an evocative backdrop for the poems. The book is full of photographs of the poet, his family, and of places of significance to his story. This book gives the reader a true feel for Williams's life, his work, and his love of the written word. In the back of the book the reader will find a list of the poems used in the book and the dates they were written as well as an index. This book is one of nine books in the "Voices of Poetry" series. 2004, Creative Education, Ages 12 up.