Greg Mortenson is a former mountaineer and ER nurse, and is cofounding Director of the Central Asia Institute, raising $2.8 million dollars each year through tireless campaigning for modest individual donations. His previous book Three Cups of Tea has sold over 3 million copies in the US. He is the recipient of Pakistan's highest civil award (The Star of Pakistan) for his sixteen years work to promote education and peace in the region. He lives in Montana with his family.
Mike Bryan has written or collaborated on twenty-five books, including Cal Ripken's bestseller The Only Way I Know.