Tuesday, December 18, 2007

John Arkwright's Biography

John's mother paid for his birth by digging sweet potatoes during the final stages of her pregnancy. His father was in a half-body cast due to a train wreck. Mom recited The Raven to John to put him to sleep at night. When he was young, the soles of his feet were thick and hard from going barefoot for seven or eight months per year. His back was tanned from going shirtless. The family made sacrifices to take him and his brother camping on creeks, on the beaches of south Louisiana, and in the Ozarks.

John was fascinated by tic-tac-toe and checkers, which his grandfather, Cricket, taught him. Later he enjoyed chess, baseball, football, and impromptu wrestling at his small country school. He loved to read, favoring fantasy and science fiction, especially enjoying Isaac Asimov. In high school he read Tolkein and his taste in games turned to historical wargames and fantasy games.

John earned a degree in economics at a regional university near his home. He attended the University of Wyoming for a semester then completed a PhD in Economics from the University of South Carolina with fields in statistics and game theory. He published research on the economics of terrorism, education, gambling, corporate incentives, and other topics.

John married Julia about the time he earned his first degree. They now live in a small southern mountain town with their three sons. John works hard to show his students how they can apply the discipline of rational decision making to enrich their lives. Julia works hard to raise three sons and an aggravating husband. John writes when he can. Julia, the world's most voracious reader, edits his work.

John enjoys writing, reading, talking about politics and religion, playing online games, and spending time with his family. His mother is now deceased. His hero is his father, Scotty.