Kevin Howard’s book, “Onward, At Last”, is a thoughtful and introspective series of essays that hope to provoke us into deeper consideration of our world and the way we live in it. Some of the essays are clear prose while others, like, “When No One’s Left to Blame”, and “Where we are” verge into poetic form (which suits them well).Howard presents us with five sections which group essays by theme. In each section the underlaying idea is approached through the combination of essays- each one offering a perspective or aspect for the reader to consider. These are well-written and deeply considered essays. Each one a pearl of thought meant to invite meditation and introspection.This is a book best taken an essay or two at a time so that one has time to contemplate the depth of engagement that Howard invites us into. For example in the essay, “What If”, we are invited to consider the following: “Remember playing “what if” as a child? What if you had a million dollars? What if you could live forever? I used to spend a lot of time daydreaming about what if. Today, as I consider my life, I now wonder what if my life was free from the constraints of money? The more I think about the impact money has on my life, the more I realize I am a slave to the need for money.” Howard then allows us a peek into his own life before leading us back to introspection with, “What if we all were free to make choices not constrained by the need for money? Let that thought sink in. Imagine being born in a world where global resources were managed to maximize sustainability and minimize waste.”At every turn in this book, I was challenged to take time to think and to ponder, rather than reading it straight through as we do so often these days. Much like Derrick Jensen’s, “A Language Older than Words”, which is an exploration of the various ways we live in the world and offers a challenging look at our worldwide sense of community, and how we can make things better; “Onward, At Last” intends to provoke us to thought, hopefully to action and ultimately to creating change for the benefit of all beings, human and otherwise.I suggest grabbing a cup of tea, mug of coffee or a good Bourbon as you sit yourself down to savour what Howard has to offer. It will by turns cheer, frustrate, uplift and call you to action, and you will not be left unchanged by this work.