Matthieu Ricard is a Buddhist monk who had a promising career in cellular genetics before leaving France to study Buddhism in the Himalayas thirty-five years ago. He is a bestselling author, translator, and photographer and an active participant in current scientific research on the effects of meditation on the brain. He lives and works on humanitarian projects in Tibet and Nepal.
Jesse Browner is a novelist and translator living in New York City. He has translated works by Jean Cocteau, Rainer Maria Rilke, Paul Éluard, and others.