Ron David, a former editor-in-chief of the For Beginners series, is also the author of Toni Morrison Explained: A Reader’s Road Map to the Novels (Random House, 2000). Previous works for For Beginners include Arabs & Israel For Beginners, Jazz For Beginners, and Opera For Beginners. Ron has been a guest lecturer on all of these subjects across the United States, and he has been awarded a NJ State Council for the Arts fellowship for his novel-in-progress, The Lebanese Book of the Dead. He lives in Kihei, Hawaii, with his wife, the designer Susan David. Dirk Shearer is a freelance illustrator who has created art for Spencer Gifts, Split Lip, Image Comics, and Evileye Books. Dirk received his BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design. www.dirkshearer.com

Books by Ron David