Noshir Hormasji Antia (February 8, 1922 to June 26, 2007) was a remarkable man. I met him once, when he came to Chennai for a seminar on the World Development Report Investing in Health. For several hours before the seminar, he kept me and a friend spellbound with his experiences and ideas. Many of them, like the banana leaf treatment for burns, find a mention in this book. He came across as a warm, gentle person, with a great sense of humour. He seemed to have a great zest for life, and this comes through in his autobiography as well. For all his brilliance he never lost his empathy for people of all social classes, and his humility enabled him to spot innovative practices and adapt them even from the most humble of his patients. He always sought solutions which were not only technically effective but were also cost effective