Ellie Whitney, PhD grew up in New York City and received her B.A. and Ph.D. degrees in English and biology at Radcliffe/Harvard University and Washington Universities, respectively. She has taught at both Florida State University and Florida A&M University, has written newspaper columns on environmental matters for the Tallahassee Democrat, and has authored almost a dozen college textbooks on nutrition, health, and related topics, many of which have been revised multiple times over the years. In addition to teaching and writing, she has spent the past three-plus decades exploring outdoor Florida and studying its ecology. Her latest book is Priceless Florida: The Natural Ecosystems (Pineapple Press, 2004). Sharon Rady Rolfes is a registered dietician nutritionist and a founding member of Nutrition and Health Associates, an information resource center that maintains a research database on more than 1,000 nutrition-related topics. She has taught at Florida State University and coauthored several other college textbooks, including UNDERSTANDING NORMAL AND CLINICAL NUTRITION, 10th EDITION. In addition to writing, she serves as a consultant for various educational projects, and volunteers on the board of Working Well, a community initiative dedicated to creating a healthy workforce. A member of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Ms. Rady Rolfes received her MS in nutrition and food science from Florida State University.