Foreword
F
ame and celebrity are alluring. People are drawn to those who
walk in fame’s spotlight, whether they are known for great
accomplishments or for notorious deeds. The lives of the famous
pique public interest and attract attention, perhaps because their
experiences seem in some ways so different from, yet in other
ways so similar to, our own.
Newspapers, magazines, and television regularly capitalize
on this fascination with celebrity by running profiles of famous
people. For example, television programs such as Entertainment
Tonight devote all their programming to stories about entertain-
ment and entertainers. Magazines such as People fill their pages
with stories of the private lives of famous people. Even news-
papers, newsmagazines, and television news frequently delve
into the lives of well-known personalities. Despite the number
of articles and programs, few provide more than a superficial
glimpse at their subjects.
Lucent’s People in the News series offers young readers a
deeper look into the lives of today’s newsmakers, the influences
that have shaped them, and the impact they have had in their
fields of endeavor and on other people’s lives. The subjects of the
series hail from many disciplines and walks of life. They include
authors, musicians, athletes, political leaders, entertainers, entre-
preneurs, and others who have made a mark on modern life and
who, in many cases, will continue to do so for years to come.
These biographies are more than factual chronicles. Each book
emphasizes the contributions, accomplishments, or deeds that
have brought fame or notoriety to the individual and shows how
that person has influenced modern life. Authors portray their sub-
jects in a realistic, unsentimental light. For example, Bill Gates—
the cofounder and chief executive officer of the software giant
Microsoft—has been instrumental in making personal com puters
the most vital tool of the modern age. Few dispute his business
savvy, his perseverance, or his technical expertise, yet critics say
he is ruthless in his dealings with competitors and driven more
6