Peter B. Mires was born in Vermont when there were more cows than people. He earned a B.A. from the University of New Hampshire, M.A. from the University of Arkansas, and Ph.D. from Louisiana State University. After receiving his doctorate in 1988, Peter taught geography and anthropology at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the University of Delaware. He is retired and lives in Reno, and when not reading or writing he may be found hiking the Tahoe Rim Trail or exploring the Nevada outback.