Written in a narrative and deeply personal form, the book relates how the primitive technology that was used to find oil has changed to the sophisticated use of computers, Global Positioning Systems, and advanced seismic techniques. From the jungles of Sumatra, via the forbidden deserts of North Africa and the Near East, to the frigid barrens of Svalbard, the author recounts the trials and joys of a career he loved. The book’s current version in English is largely based on the author’s own translation and partial rewriting of the Dutch original first published in 2005.