Anyone who has enjoyed watching movies during the last 40-plus years should read this book. It’s that simple. In This Terrible Business Has Been Good to Me, veteran Canadian director Norman Jewison details his life in moviemaking so entertainingly, and provides so many anecdotes about the producers, actors, studio heads, and technical professionals who helped him make some of the greatest popular films of the last five decades, that film lovers who don’t avail themselves of this fine read will be missing out on something special.

In addition to chronicling his adventures on set and providing some excellent insights into the nuts and bolts of his craft, Jewison outlines his path from working-class beginnings in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood to stints in the Canadian Navy and the University of Toronto to working as a director of entertainment variety shows at the early CBC, as well as his move to California. He chronicles his experiences in other spots around the world as an A-list director on such classics as In the Heat of the Night, The Thomas Crown Affair, Moonstruck, and The Hurricane.

Perhaps the most endearing aspect of This Terrible Business is that the 78-year-old Jewison still writes with a strong sense of being a Canadian, though one who’s made it big outside his home and native land. In a country where critics too often reserve praise only for those who routinely churn out run-of-the-mill Canadiana, it’s inspiring to read the exploits of an artist who took up the challenge of entertaining audiences on a global scale – and succeeded.

Adding to the book’s thoroughness is a complete filmography, as well as 24 pages of black-and-white photos showing Jewison at work with many of the major stars of our time.