I was born in South Dakota, raised in Wisconsin, and now live in the hills above Boulder, Colorado. Along the way, I have been lost in nearly 50 countries, climbed mountains and volcanoes, and sailed across the South Pacific. I have counted birds for the Audubon Society, scuba-dived the Great Barrier Reef, taught in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and ate a goat's eyeball in the Sahel.

A writing prof once told me that to become an interesting writer, lead an interesting life. The corollary, of course, comes courtesy of Saul Bellow: "All you have to do to have an interesting life is be a damn fool." As my dad once told me, "You pretty much got it covered, Tiger ..."

Work-wise, I'm currently writing a book about the CIA, creating Web site materials to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Marvin Gaye's album "What's Going On," and researching an article about sports rivalries.

I'm a lucky guy, and it's a very good life ...