William S. Robinson was born in Bloomington, Indiana and graduated from Indiana University undergraduate school and University of Chicago School of Medicine. As Professor in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine he carried out research on viruses where after investigation of retroviruses, influenza viruses and others, he discovered the virion of hepatitis B virus in the blood if infected patients and characterized that virus, cloned and sequenced its DNA, discovered related viruses in rodents, investigated their role in liver cancer, and with collaborators carried out the first antiviral treatment studies of hepatitis B virus infected patients. His relatives and ancestors from Southern states have informed him of Southern culture and history, and led to his interest in the subject of this book
