Self-made botanist Raïmberdi can identify 300 types of plants growing in the seemingly hardscrabble expanse of the Shaymak region of Tajikistan. And, having performed years of geographical fieldwork—painstakingly exploring the countryside and carefully collecting samples in handmade herbariums—he knows how to use their roots, stems, leaves, and flowers for the most benefit. Initially wanting to complete formal training at university, Raïmberdi was drafted into the army’s internal troops instead. Now, years after the fall of the Soviet Union, Raïmberdi applies the same careful approach and consideration to scouring the countryside in attempts to make do without essential staples like gasoline, kerosene, and flour. Lacking matches, he created a machine to make fire. When he accidentally found an electromagnetic generator in the dump, he turned it into a hydroelectric station, providing much-needed energy to his compound. Clearly a gentle genius of resource, Raïmberdi undeniably proves you can’t “know one’s mind by looking at his forehead.”  WFM