Into the Carpathians: A Journey Through the Heart and History of Central and Eastern Europe (Part 1: The Eastern Mountains) [Deluxe Color Ed - Paperback

Alan E. Sparks is the award-winning author of Dreaming of Wolves, and has written articles about wolves for International Wolf Magazine and other publications. He has bachelor and master s degrees in physics and engineering from the University of Maine and Stanford University, and has completed post-secondary courses in writing, philosophy, sociology, psychology, painting, acting, exercise physiology, and film making. He worked for over twenty years developing advanced technologies for one of the leading research and development organizations in the world (Bell Telephone Laboratories), and has recently worked overseas as an English teacher and commercial actor. An avid walker, hiker, backcountry skier, and animal tracker, Alan has lived, worked, and trekked extensively in the wilds of Central and Eastern Europe. He is a voracious reader and enjoys studying the natural and cultural histories of the places he visits. To supplement his indoor studies, he has completed courses in mountaineering with the Colorado Mountain Club, mountain ski touring/expedition leadership with the National Outdoor Leadership School, and winter ecology/animal tracking with renowned animal tracker Dr. James Halfpenny of A Naturalist s World. He currently resides alternately in Boulder, Colorado; Portland, Maine; and Krakow, Poland."