OUT OF THE FOREST is one of the best non-fiction books I’ve ever read.

It tells the beyond incredible true story of a man who dropped out of society and lived rough in the rainforests of Northern New South Wales for close on a decade.

Gregory Smith – pictured above – was that man. Today he is Dr Gregory Smith, senior lecturer in the Social Sciences department and chair of the faculty of Business, Law and Arts at Southern Cross University in NSW (Australia).

For the next few weeks, we’re going to check out some brilliant excerpts from the book. Prior to entering the forest, Dr Gregory was homeless for a number of years. Here he tells all about less-than-ideal sleeping arrangements –

My homeless life played out right up and down the east coast of Australia; from the harsh sidewalks of Darlinghurst, Kings Cross and Surry Hills in Sydney to Woolloongabba and Redhill in the back lanes of inner Brisbane.

I’ve slept on stinking, urine-splattered tiles in public toilets, inside grime-coated industrial rubbish bins, at railway platforms, in boiler rooms, on the verandahs of unsuspecting Australians, under country churches, in a big plastic bag on the side of a road, in a cardboard box, in cars, in police lockups.

Homeless life is a hard, hard slog. People stealing your things is always a possibility, I’ve had shoes ripped off my feet while sleeping. You’re always hungry, you’re always tired, and society always thinks the worst of you – especially cops and security guards.

We find out the unique, pet names Dr Gregory coined for various parts of his rainforest home.