Writing books is almost a luxury at the end of the twentieth century. The next generation may be writing interactive computer programmes. This book might have been better as an interactive programme, as in the kind of a paradigm shift currently under way in rural development there is so much to discuss and debate, and so many people are qualified to contribute. The process which went into writing the book has certainly been an interactive one over the last twenty years. It started in northern Ghana in 1976, where I went with my family to do fieldwork for a PhD on the development of largescale mechanised rice farming. It continued with twelve years' work, on and off, in the Sudan, including a spell as a UNICEF officer. During those years I worked as an academic on famine and food security, rural development programmes, pastoralism and irrigation schemes, and the development of large-scale mechanised sorghum production. For UNICEF I developed a women's development programme and had involvements with health, water and sanitation and relief work. Again my family were with me. In the early 19908 I worked more widely in the Horn of Africa on food security and development in conflict situations. Since then my major focus has been on public sector rural development in India. I also spent many days between 1991 and 1995 working as a committee member for Comic Reliefs Africa Grants, giving me an insight into the operations of NGOs. During most of this time I have been a part-time small-scale organic farmer in the Welsh borders with my partner, Hilary, who has served as secretary to British Organic Farmers: this experience has also helped form some of the ideas in this book.