Dr. Bernard W. Pipkin is Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California. He received his doctorate from the University of Arizona and is a licensed geologist and certified engineering geologist in the state of California. After graduation he worked for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on a variety of military and civil projects, from large dams to pioneer roads in rough terrain for microwave sites. He has been a consulting engineering geologist as well as a university teacher since 1965. Dr. Pipkin is past president of the National Association of Geology Teachers and is a Fellow in the Geological Society of America. He hosted the PBS 30-part program Oceanus that won a local Emmy for Best Educational Television Series. In 1995 he shared the Clare Holdredge Award with Richard Proctor from the Association of Engineering Geologists for their book ENGINEERING GEOLOGY PRACTICE IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. He currently lectures on geology on cruise ships and at last count, he and his wife Faye have been involved in 26 cruises throughout the world. Dr. Pipkin is a private pilot with a flight instructor's rating; he took many of the aerial photos in the book. They have three grown children and five grandchildren and live south of Los Angeles on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.