This book is biographical in nature, covering a wide-range of themes regarding Freire's childhood, his education, and how he was steered to become an educator, particularly focused on how he worked to foster a more just, right, and loving world.

JAMES D. KIRYLO is Professor of Education at the University of South Carolina. Among other books, he is author of The Catholic Teacher: Teaching for Social Justice with Faith, Hope, and Love (2023) and The Thoughtful Teacher: Making Connections with a Diverse Student Population (2021), editor for Reinventing Pedagogy of the Oppressed: Contemporary Critical Perspectives (2020), and co-author of Paulo Freire: His Faith, Spirituality, and Theology (2017).

Praise For The First Edition - Ana L. Cruz: Foreword - Donaldo Macedo: Foreword to the First Edition - Shirley R. Steinberg: Past the Centennial Year: Recollection and Gratitude - Introduction - Historical Context within a Land of Contrasts - 724 Estrada do Encanamento - Early School Years - The Move to Jaboatão - A Turning Point - The Move Back to Recife, First Teaching Job, and Propelling Toward Life's Work - Marriage, Children, and "You're an Educator" - A Momentous Employment Invitation - A Watershed Moment - Superintendent of the Division of Education and Culture and Lessons Learned - Completing Doctoral Work and an Adult Education Focus - The Emergence of Cultural Circles - Overview of a Five Phase Literacy Process - A Remarkable Event in Angicos - Triggering Political Events, Jail Time, and the only Option of Exile - A Short Stay in Bolivia and onto Chile - Cultural Circles in a Chilean Setting - Early Publications and Departing Chile - A Stop at Harvard as a Path to Geneva - Headquartered at the World Council of Churches - Historical Overview of Guinea-Bissau and the Need for a Literacy Campaign - The Guinea-Bissau Project and Beyond - Living a Borrowed Life and Lessons Learned - A Period of Re-acclimation - A Sampling of Publications during the 1980s (Including Early Works About Paulo Freire) - The Formation of a New Political Party and Accepting a Secretary of Education Post - A Goal-focused Sense of Urgency as Secretary of Education - Traversing Through a Dark Night - Life Anew and More Publications - A Glimpse into Paulo's "Domestic" Life - A Level of Regrets - Drinking from Many Wells - Foundationally Grounded in a Faith Position Lens - Existentialism, Phenomenology, Personalism, Humanism, Liberalism, and Marxism - A Process Toward Coming Out of the Shadows - Tramp of the Obvious - Authenticity and Dialogue - Conscientização and Praxis - Banking Approach v. Problem-posing Approach - Love, Humility, and Hope - "Father" of Critical Pedagogy - One of the Founders of Liberation Theology - The Man from Recife and Why He Matters - Nelio Bizzo: Afterword A Perspective from Brazil - Peter McLaren: Afterword for the First Edition Paulo Freire: Defending His Heritage to Remake the Earth - Acknowledgments - Illustrative Literacy Scenes - Key Word List - The Process of Writing Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Voices: Leonardo Boff, Cynthia Brown, Fernando Cardenal, and Jonathan Kozol - An Interview with Ana Maria (Nita) Araújo Freire - A Brief Overview of Critical Theory - Paulo Freire, Black Theology of Liberation, and Liberation Theology: A Conversation with James H. Cone - Notes - References - Index.