Author D. Patrick Georges

WHO'S WHO

Businessman, scholar, rover--Patrick has dined with European kings to promote Scouting and broken bread with Bedouins. He has distilled his experiences and scholarly research in six self-improvement books and one "improbably" classified under the metaphysics and futurology labels. A graduate of Ripon College, Wisconsin and the University of Kentucky, and MENSA member, after a series of trial-and-error jobs he ended up in Mobil Oil Corporation, where he served in marketing and human resource development positions in several countries for twenty-some years. In the civic sector he served in a volunteer capacity on the National Councils of the Boy Scouts of America and the Boy Scouts of Greece and also as World Scouting Representative to the United Nations Organization. Nowadays, if he isn't roaming over the Arabian peninsula or about the South Seas and other offbeat locales, he sort of works as Chairman of La Costa Consultants, Inc., of Rancho Santa Fe, California, and has occasionally conducted graduate management seminars at National University in San Diego, where sailing tops his fun list.

Alan M. Barratt, M. Phil., Ph.D., co-author of the Synolic Manager, is a management consultant who has lectured and consulted widely in Europe, USA., Asia and the Middle East, and is often called upon for keynote speeches. At present he is the Principal and Managing Director of Alan M. Barratt & Associates, Chairman of Queenshill Lodge Service, Ltd. and a Director of Partners for Growth, PLC, U. K. He has served as Vice President of Mobil Oil Corporation's International Consulting Services, Inc., and in various capacities with Texas Instruments, the British Furniture and Timber Industry Training Board, and as President of Executive Development Systems, Inc., of Westport, Connecticut. He is also Professor of Executive Development and a member of the Editorial Board of the Leadership and Organisational Development publications of the Management Centre at Buckingham University Press, U. K.

Kathleen Marusak has provided guidance and editing support to Patrick since he started writing. More than a valuable associate, she has also been Patrick’s champion and good friend. Kathleen lives with her husband Mark and their son Matt in Long Beach, California. A professional free-lance editor, she may be contacted at: Kathleen_Editor@yahoo.com

American artist Michelle Seaters created for the
cover of Smarter than Snakes
a watercolor entitled “Python: The Tutelary Daimon of
Prehistoric Pytho.”

Australian photographer and globe trotter Megan Grant captured some bitter looking oranges in a Persian bazaar,
a perfect cover for Bitter Oranges.

Native Californian mosaics artist Kathleen Fairchild wrote the poem Bitter Oranges that lent its title to the book.