It was widely reported, when he died earlier in 2020, that Gordon McLauchlan's last book was "Stop the Clock" but, in fact, he was finalising details of Encounters until several days before his death in January. In 26 engaging and provocative essays, Gordon McLauchlan writes about people, illustrious and unknown, he has rubbed up against since his Press Gallery days in Wellington in the early 1950s. He gives fresh, and beautifully written, insights into a kaleidoscope of human nature - providing new perspectives on famous politicians, writers, broadcasters and 'ordinary' people who piqued his interest. Most - like Holland, Holyoake, Holmes, Key, Lange, Shadbolt, Davin and Ihimaera - are New Zealanders. Others - like Noam Chomsky and Felipe Fernandez-Armesto- are from elsewhere. Gordon McLauchlan was one of New Zealand best-known and most popular writers, cultural critics and social historians. In a long career he was a newspaper journalist, magazine editor, columnist, book reviewer, radio commentator, and television frontperson. For 10 years he was the editor-in-chief of The New Zealand Encyclopedia, and the author of more than 20 books, with The Passionless People the most famous of several bestsellers.