A few years after World War II ended, William Yager began what would become an important formative period in his life. His father became a state park ranger, and he was to experience his early adolescent years in the midst of the redwood forests of Northern California. In retrospect, his spiritual sensitivity and deep love of nature took root during this time. Following degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and an MBA from the Harvard Business School, he was in systems engineering and management in the computer industry in San Francisco for fifteen years. A year of reflection and reassessment resulted in making the transition to the Pacific Northwest, and a teaching career was launched at Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington. In 1984, Bill and his family moved to Eugene, Oregon, where he completed his PhD at the University of Oregon in international strategic management. Now retired after twenty years on the School of Business faculty at Pacific Lutheran University, he is able to appreciate all the more the profound God-given gifts in nature and to indulge his love of reading and writing.