<b>Ron Stewart</b> has written several books on historical and geological topics. A native of Alberta, he worked for 15 years with the University of Alberta's Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences before becoming a consultant. His career has involved a series of exploits, including jumping out of helicopters in remote areas of northern BC; diving to a Spanish wreck off the coast of Florida; and encountering bears in the Yukon, mountain lions in the Blue Ridge Mountains and black widow spiders and copperhead snakes in North Carolina.