The idea for the book was born when I lent another book to a friend to read. It examined the history of humanity from the perspective of environmental impact. This wasn't the first book on the subject of ecology and environmentalism that he has borrowed from me, but it was the one that convinced him that something was lacking from the genre.

Like many other books, it was filled with convincing data, statistics, projections and sound intellectual arguments. Also like them, it was written in a dry academic style that pretty much guaranteed that its message would not find its way into the hands of more than a few enthusiasts. The masses of readers would be informed about the subject from other sources, if at all.

After a brief discussion, we hit upon an idea. We realised that, thanks to the tireless efforts of scientists, academics and journalists, there was a wealth of information already available in the public domain. What was needed was to take this information and personalise it, make it tangible, so that the readers can relate to the many problems that our society is facing within the context of their daily living experience.

Taking social problems that reside in the realm of statistics and breathing life into them is what this book is about.