To understand a public figure like John Turner it is necessary to start with what he said and what he wrote. This volume is an updated edition of Turner's 1968 book of speeches, Politics of Purpose, published as part of his efforts campaigning for leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada upon the retirement of Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.

This revised edition contains many of the original entries but also brings the public record up-to-date with his post-1968 reflections on Parliament, government, the Liberal Party, law, and the environment. Most significantly, this book documents Turner's prominent ongoing battle against the Free Trade Agreement with the United States that culminated in the 1988 federal election; the 20th anniversary of this election was marked by the Centre for the Study of Democracy with a conference at Queen's University in October 2008 in honour of the 17th prime minister. Mrs Geills M. Turner, a professional photographer, now retired, has contributed a selection of her personal family photographs to illustrate this volume.