Long ago, Mark Laxer's quest to understand the bigger world landed him in the inner circle of a brilliant, charismatic guru gone mad. After writing Take Me For A Ride and weathering a $30 million lawsuit, Laxer continued the quest by writing The Monkey Bible, which asks science, religion, and mythology what it means to be human. Laxer runs a software corporation, a free monthly storytelling gathering in Washington DC (you're invited!), and a wildlife conservation organization. In 2004, he invented virtual ecotourism.