Dale Walker was raised in the rural foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and thought he would escape the hills with a Penn State engineering degree. But, as a senior executive of an energy company, he eventually directed the largest coal operations in eastern Kentucky. The opportunity to work with and live among the unique inhabitants of the southern Appalachian coalfields provided the background for this story. After living in five states and conducting business in thirty-six countries, he resides in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife Laura and Bear the rescue dog.