Dr. Robert Gardner has earned degrees from Ryerson University, McMaster University, the University of Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education). He was the Chair of the School of Radio and Television Arts, Faculty of Communication and Design for three terms. Concurrently he was the Head of Media Writing and an award-winning writer, director, and producer of cultural and educational documentaries. His novel is based, in part, on his frequent visits to Italy with his Italian-born wife, Anna Maria Galuppi Gardner where they live in a Campanile which was built by order of Pope Clement V in the year 1312. Dr. Gardner continues to work as an educational consultant. His most recent writing assignments include articles on the life and career of Maria Montessori, the great Italian educator. For a complete biography of Dr. Gardner on Wikipedia, Google "Robert Gardner, Academic"