An American by birth and education, he wrote the work from the perspective of a contemporary British novelist in order to enhance thematic elements as well as character development and portrayal. His perspective as the author from that standpoint was largely influenced by George Orwell, Arthur C. Clarke, Ray Kurzweil, Spinoza, Joseph Campbell and William Blake. Mr Kurzeil's book The Singularity is Near inspired many of the thematic elements of the novel.
His life-long interest in international economics and finance continues unabated. He primarily demonstrates this professional involvement as a contributor to The Long Room, the members-only international finance professionals' forum hosted by The Financial Times of London.
He’s an expert scuba diver who enjoys traveling to exotic dive sites. His love of the sea and marine life gives him an unbounded appreciation and support of “green” issues, especially those devoted to the conservation of endangered species and coral reefs.