TOM MUELLER holds bachelor's degrees in civil engineering and sociology from the University of Miami. He worked in the private and public sectors as a civil engineer for thirty-eight years before his retirementin 2012. He is an athlete, plays drums, studies world religions and is struggling in earnest to learn conversational German. Tom has backpacked and hiked extensively in the United States, Canada, Europe and New Zealand, carrying up to sixty-five pounds of gear and single malt scotch. Tom, his wife Janet and their black cat Olli live in Temple Terrace, Florida.