‘A Tale of Four Hemispheres’ is a highly engaging, thoughtful and extremely readable memoir about a man orphaned in infancy, who survived a childhood bedevilled by ill-health and went on to achieve world ranking as an athlete before moving to the Antipodes to open up a completely new chapter in his life. All the emotions of a full life are revealed here in elaborate detail that plunges you directly into John Sheldrick’s life. It’s a life that features twists and turns of fortune and many adventures. Albert Camus, the French existential writer, said that each of us is the sum of all of our decisions. This is certainly very true in John’s life.