John is the grand son of Scandinavian immigrants who homesteaded on the lonesome prairies of western North Dakota. He started his education in a one room school, but he has always believed in following dreams. These dreams have taken him on a lifelong journey of exploration that covers six continents and many of the deepest canyons and great mountains of the world. His first book is a collection of 27 diverse adventure stories that span the globe and include ski racing, freestyle ski jumping, mountain climbing, western rodeo, whitewater kayaking, and working in a gold mine. The book is written in a coffee table format with hundreds of action packed photos, and dozens of inspirational quotes. The stories are very entertaining, and are written in the hope of inspiring many people to enjoy and protect our incredible planet. "Dancing on the Edge of an Endangered Planet" took first place in the 2010 Colorado Independent Publishers EVVY awards. He is also an architectural engineer and master carpenter and has designed and built numerous energy efficient solar homes.