'At the age of four, my mother told me that all people judge a person, first by their appearance-the outer and most vulnerable part of oneself-followed by their family, their achievements, and only then by their demeanour. She made it a priority to perfect my habits, body and etiquette before I turned eight, but had severely underestimated her ability to remould my external design, like the remorphing of misshapen clay on a potter's wheel.' (Introduction)
