Of Men and Soap and Water

Dr Archibald Simpson Anderson – Archie to everyone – died on the 4th November 1974 after a long and productive life. The most revealing glimpses into Archie’s values and interests are laid out for us in the material that survived him of which Of men and ‘soap and water’ forms the third and final posthumous publication. (The other two titles are listed on the Dedication page of this book).
Whilst his writings do not answer all of the questions we would wish to ask him, the editing of his writings has allowed his grandchildren to come to know him and his times better than before. Archie enjoyed writing and speaking especially to those who were weaving their faith into their daily lives. He pioneered the science of giving sight to any who needed his help: instigating hospitals, founding support services for nurses, assisting numbers of educational projects and schools, just to begin his contribution to Australia. It is best to let him speak through these pages and for us to listen to a man of passion, learning, wit and vision. We are wise to resist the temptation to project our current sensibilities back into his presentations rather, we do well to engage with the critical faculties he would have sought in his communications with his original audience.
We hope you will enjoy this window into Archie.