JEFF BROWN graduated from Oklahoma State University and Purdue University and became a Peace Corps Volunteer in 1980. He lived and worked in Africa, the Middle East, China and Europe for the next 21 years–mastered Portuguese, Arabic, French and Mandarin, while traveling to over 85 countries. He then returned to America for nine years, whereupon he moved back to China in 2010. He maintains a popular blog on his website, 44 Days Blog: Reflections in Sinoland – Reporting from the Belly of the New Century Beast. He currently lives with his wife and daughter in Beijing.