Bill Rhodes completed his PhD at Kansas State University and his post-doctorate at the University of Florida, before beginning his career as a plant breeder with Clemson University. During his career, he worked in China-first as a consultant for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, and then returning to China several times as a consultant for Chinese academic and business institutions. After his retirement in 2002, he abandoned technical writing to write about the human experience and to enjoy life in the beautiful Ozark Mountains of Arkansas. He has three children and four grandchildren.