Here is an exciting, inspiring series of adventures and revelations from the life of John Tettemer, a modern trailblazer, civil engineer, and environmentalist. Tettemer invites us into his youth, writing that he was well prepared for his later work by an unusual upbringing. A maverick from childhood, he grew up in the woods, largely isolated from the outside world, and his principal teacher was Nature, from whom he learned formative lessons about incorruptible truth and the wonders of simplicity. His parents, mavericks themselves, were idealistic, spiritually sensitive pioneers of a freethinking lifestyle that contributed significantly to the boy's developing personality. However, this is far more than a tale of professional accomplishment and personal challenge. It is also a how-to-guide for those who seek insight into how this individualistic pioneer identifies and solves complex engineering and environmental problems, and it includes a detailed explanation of the author's unique, six-step method of Vision-Based Problem-Solving. It also presents his urgent call for a National Environmental Vision 20063/4a prescription, based on his forty years of professional experience, for setting mandatory environmental management goals and practices. Numerous photographs are included.