About the Author

Brian Wayne Maki is the author of eight books, Flying a Kite (1993), Where Strong Winds Blow (1994), One Innocent and Ordinary Life: Short Stories and Poems (2012), Little Black Book: Protecting Your Digital Life (2012), Ordinary Inspiration: Selected Poems (2012), Little Annoying Updates: Windows Update Guide (2013), Ordinary Reflections (2013), and Portraits: Pictures & Words (2013). Brian's poetry and computer articles have appeared in The Mining Journal and the magazine Marquette Monthly. His poetry has also appeared in other publications. Born in Marquette, Michigan in 1970, Brian has been a life-long resident of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He lives in Harvey, Michigan with his wife, Laurie, and his two stepdaughters, Alyssa and Lindsey. Brian is the founder and owner of Maki Consulting, a local computer firm he established in 1991. With his own personal vision and determination, Brian developed his own core classes, helping thousands of community residents learn computers in various computer-training sessions, including his ever-popular Adult Community Education offerings with Marquette Area Public Schools. Brian has also served in a variety of other prominent roles. He has been a head boys' and girls' basketball coach at Graveraet Middle School, a registered basketball official since 1994, the president and chairman of his own basketball league, a head basketball official and mentor at many Red Hacker basketball tournaments around the State of Michigan, and a computer trainer and instructor for Northern Michigan University's Laptop Initiative Program, training over 2,000 hourly employees, salary workers, and business and management staff members in the mastery of Microsoft Office and general computer uses in the workplace.