I’ve had an unconventional career path, driven by cultural curiosity. I have been a businessman, a writer of non-fiction and have evolved into a social entrepreneur of sorts. The latter is a result of my most recent book, Commander of the Faithful: The Life and Times of Emir Abdelkader (A Story of True Jihad). I also authored The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love and Terror in Algeria, which served as the basis for the award winning film Of Gods and Men. I also taught a course at the USMC Command Staff College and started a nation-wide essay contest for the USMC raising awareness of the importance of cultural competence for US troops, using Commander of the Faithful and the French Colonial experience as a platform for exploring these timeless issues. Commander of the Faithful ultimately spawned The Abd El Kader Education Project,a growing worldwide movement, started in Elkader, Iowa. The goal of the project is to restore the historical memory of this 19th century Arab warrior/saint, whose message is timeless. In our current political climate, it is more important than ever to build a counter narrative to balance the almost exclusively negative images of Muslims presented by the media. Using the life of Emir Abd El Kader as a vehicle, the Project promotes cultural literacy, civility and respectful engagement in an increasingly polarized political and religious climate. Publications2000-07: “The Algerian Microcosm: Monks, Muslims and the Zeal of Bitterness,” Cistercian Studies Quarterly (38:3) 2003; “From Algeria to Iraq,” Marine Corps Gazette (6/06); “Iraq, Amundson and the Zouaves,” Marine Corps Gazette (8/07)1975-1994: Numerous publications on Soviet bloc technology potential in Harvard Business Review, Foreign Policy Magazine, the Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post.Publications -Books2008- Commander of the Faithful:The Life and Times of Emir Abd-el-Kader (Monkfish Books)2002- The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love and Terror in Algeria (St. Martin’s Press)1998- Stefan Zweig, Death of a Modern Man (University of Toulouse)1989- Communist Entrepreneurs: Unknown Innovators in the Global Economy (Franklin Watts)