Stanley J. Winkelman, World War II veteran and native Michiganian, revolutionized the retail industry by bringing reasonably priced European career fashions to women. He was a lifetime member of the local chapter of the NAACP, active in the Jewish Community Council, lifetime member of Temple Beth El, and during the 1967 Detroit riot took an active role in keeping city businesses from leaving city limits and improving race relations. Winkelman was also an active member of New Detroit -- an organization formed after the 1967 riots dedicated to increasing communication with the African American community -- along with such leaders as Henry Ford II and Walter P. Reuther.

A Life in the Balance is not only the personal memoir of a Detroit business leader but also a record of Detroit's social history through the life of one its most prominent citizens. Readers interested in Detroit history will find Stanley Winkelman's story an inspiring read.