Adele Westbrook, who works for one of the largest advertising agencies in the world, studied philosophy at Columbia University at the same time co-author Oscar Ratti was doing graduate work in the classical languages. They began to practice aikido together, and while studying under a variety of instructors in the United States and Europe, started the collection of notes and sketches which finally developed into this illustrated introduction to the art of aikido.
Oscar Ratti, now a commercial illustrator, received his degree in classical studies and law from the University of Naples where he