George Friedman is an American political scientist and author. He is the founder, chief intelligence officer, financial overseer, and CEO of the private intelligence corporation Stratfor. He has authored several books, including America's Secret War, The Intelligence Edge, and The Future of War. Friedman spent almost twenty years in academia, teaching political science at Dickinson College. He received a B.A. from the City College of New York, where he majored in political science, and a Ph.D. in Government from Cornell University. He is married to Meredith Friedman (n�e LeBard), has four children and lives in Austin, Texas.