James D. Stein received his B.A. from Yale and his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a Professor of Mathematics at California State University in Long Beach, California. He has served as a consultant to educational and textbook review committees for Texas and California, and has worked on projects involving mathematics education for both the State of California and the National Science Foundation. His background includes working on projects related to the moon landing in the 1960s and as a stock options trader during the 1980s. His books focus on what mathematics has been able to tell us about the Universe we live in, and how that knowledge can be used to improve our lives. Unfortunately, he has yet to find a way to use mathematics to improve his ability to play either tennis (to the relief of his opponents) or piano (to the despair of his neighbors).