About the Author

A former high school teacher, Philomena is a free-lance writer whose human-interest articles have been published in national and international newspapers and magazines, including the Illinois-based, Pioneer Press, Inc., a division of TIME, Inc., and Gatehouse Media. Her stories feature a variety of topics including remarkable people, historic landmarks and social issues. She hopes readers of the book will learn how to live happy, fulfilled lives. Dr. Gilbert Lawrence is a clinical oncologist interested in how stress increases the risk for cancer and impacts the success of therapy. The social-cultural practices of different ethnic groups are especially manifest by attitudes towards end-of-life issues. Dr. Lawrence is also fascinated by the fields of primate behavior, evolution, and human sociology. His multifaceted perspective is reflected in this book, which he describes as "the ecology of the brain." This includes the impact of the environment and the five sensory organs on the brain. The Lawrences have been married for 45 years, and live in Utica, New York. They enjoy traveling, ballroom dancing and participating in multi-cultural activities.