Ranga Rao (1942-2018) was a feisty doctor who refused to be stifled by the constraints of a bureaucracy and contributed to significant improvements in the public health system of Andhra Pradesh. His recollections range from working in a primitive tribal area as a young man, rigorous training in the United Kingdom, setting up a corporation for people with disabilities, and to playing a role in revamping the family planning system in the state. His recollections are peppered with graphic narrations of events including his hair raising experience of working with the medical teams supporting the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka. A must read for those who are skeptical about the possibilities of working with and in government.