Judge Pineles' fascinating and highly readable memoir describes his formative years, his legal and judicial career in Vermont spanning three decades, and then his improbable journey as a rule of law adviser in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Georgia, followed by a prestigious international judgeship in Kosovo. There, he adjudicated serious cases of war crimes, judicial corruption, murder, narco trafficking, and the notorious Medicus human organ trafficking case that garnered worldwide media attention. He candidly relates both his successes and failures, and lessons learned.