The author is a former vice president at the LINK division of the Singer Company, builder of simulators for training pilots and astronauts. He has a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from Catholic University. During WWII he served in the US Navy stationed on Samar Island in the Philippines. The beauty of the islands impressed him to collect stamps from tropical countries including Mauritius. He hopes the book will stimulate interest in stamp collecting - philately - a hobby that provides the collector with a unique education of the world.