Susan Zakin was born in New York City, where she attended the Brearley School and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. After moving to San Francisco, she became one of the country’s most respected environmental journalists. Her first book, Coyotes and Town Dogs: Earth First! and the Environmental Movement, is required reading at a number of universities. Zakin’s articles and essays have appeared in numerous magazines, newspapers, and literary journals, including Vogue, Salon, The New York Times, and Orion. Her recent books include Waiting for Charlie: Mercenary Soldiers, Failed States, and the Love That Means More Than Money and Hurricane Season: What Katrina Taught America. She is at work on a novel. Zakin is also the founder of Cowgirls & Pirates, the only US-based travel company working exclusively with safari operators and communities protecting nature in Africa.