Jack A. Spigarelli, original author of Crisis Preparedness Handbook, was born and raised in Carbon County, Utah, graduated from Carbon High School in Price, Utah, and served in the US Army, which included a tour in Vietnam. He graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in physics and later an MBA. He then pursued business interests, including several start-up companies. Ever passionate about preparedness topics, he diligently researched and experimented until he found what worked so that he could help others achieve peace of mind during times of crisis. In the early eighties, Jack's dream of writing a book about preparedness was realized. His 1984 edition of Crisis Preparedness… Handbook achieved modest success in the survival/preparedness community. In 2002, he revised and published a second edition, which, over the next ten years, sold close to forty thousand copies. Jack married Patricia L. Mason and was the father of six children. He died in 2005.