In this chatty book, A.J. Tiling charts their emergence as an environmentalist from early childhood in Africa in the 1940s and 50s through to now in New Zealand; an historical journey of over 75 years. It is a story of their awakening to destructive development practices and the implications for climate change initiatives. Many enthusiastic people, including the author, have worked to bring about positive environmental outcomes. Tiling reflects on why these have often been thwarted as well as giving some examples of success. In a nutshell, this is a story about sustainable development: that is, development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. There are many dimensions to this, illustrated by Tiling's early life, journeys and work in Africa, Asia and Oceania, and work and research in New Zealand. Through this international experience, they developed a socio-political and environmental consciousness and a particular interest in participatory natural resource management, with a focus on indigenous forest conservation.