About the Author

John Dworetzky (1947-2008) loved ideas. While he made his living as an author and teacher in the field of child psychology, he was a man of broad intellect fascinated by many subjects, a talented conversationalist who maintained lifelong friendships, and a passionate follower of politics and current events.

John was born in Cooperstown, NY, on August 14, 1947 to John Peter and Jean Wells Dworetzky. While he was still a child, his mother predicted that he would grow up to become either a teacher or a writer; John fulfilled her prediction by becoming both. He obtained his Ph.D. in experimental child psychology from Utah State University in 1975, and went on to author three college textbooks that were published in many editions. For 12 years, he taught introductory psychology and child development courses at Glendale Community College in Arizona and, when he, his wife Karen, and his two sons moved to Bellingham, Washington, taught for two more years at Western Washington University.

John was a consummate storyteller. Few who heard him tell one of his classic but true tales forgot them, whether it was the one about his mother's lamp during the NYC hurricane of 1954; the saga of the Long Island Expressway motorcycle policeman who got shot with a bazooka; the "body" in the pool; the masses of flies on the window; or the tale of the flying, flaming drinks.

True to form, in the weeks prior to his death, John continued to think and write about new ideas. He put the finishing touches on The Illusion of Death, which was a book he'd been working on for many years (well before he became ill himself). This book combines current theories in physics and psychology to create his own unique take on what might happen to people after they die. He completed the final editing only three weeks before he died.

A portion of the profits from the sale of The Illusion of Death will go to The John Dworetzky Memorial Scholarship, Whatcom Community College Foundation, 237 W. Kellogg Road, Bellingham, WA 98226.