Matthew Stein author of When Technology Fails & Senior Policy Analyst at the Independent Women's Forum Amy Watson

Matthew Stein holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.  He is an engineer, author and building contractor. He has also worked as a schoolteacher, carpenter, and rock climbing and ski instructor. As the owner of Aloha Aina Builders, Stein built hurricane resistant, energy efficient and environmentally friendly homes. As a mechanical engineer and president of Stein Design, he has designed consumer water filtration devices, commercial water filtration systems, photovoltaic roofing panels, medical bacteriological filters, drinking fountains, emergency chemical drench systems, computer disk drives, portable fiberglass buildings and automated assembly machinery for Open Energy, Hewlett Packard, Seagate, Plantronics, Duraflame, Haws, and IGT, among other companies. He currently resides with his wife Josie (see www.inner-journeys.com) in the High Sierra Mountains near Lake Tahoe, CA. Additionally, Stein holds a number of US patents and was a National Merit Scholar. For many years, Stein has pursued avid interests in renewable energy, alternative healing, sustainable growth, and preventative medicine. He is available for lectures and workshops. Check out his green building and mechanical engineering web site at www.stein-design.com and his book's web site at www.whentechfails.com.

Stein's outdoor experience includes considerable backpacking and camping (starting at age 5), alpine ascents in the Canadian Rockies and High Sierras, solo winter ascents of peaks in the High Sierras and numerous Yosemite Valley hard rock climbs (including several Half Dome and El Capitan big walls).  He volunteers his services as a guide and guide trainer for blind skiers with the Ski for Light blind cross-country skier program.

Matthew Stein has written a clear, concise book on the subject of survival that, while educating, also does what few others have managed to do - entertain and engage the reader. Throughout the book you'll find personal stories accompanying the text to further illustrate or drive home a point. The use of these asides brings you into Matthew Stein's life, as he recounts personal stories of survival and tells the stories of others who have managed to overcome the odds to survive. Not just a survival book, Matthew also covers topics like alternative therapies; how to create a survival mindset; survival strategies; renewable energy; companion gardening; prophecies etc. as well as all the regular topics found in such books - edible plants; first aid; making a survival kit; growing, hunting and foraging; making tools; creating shelters; spinning/weaving/tanning etc. The book has some great illustrations that make plant identification and first aid that much easier to understand and each chapter finishes with a reference section listing books (along with a short review) and resources (with web addresses where available).

Amy Watson joins the Independent Women's Forum as a senior policy analyst focusing on legal and legal reform issues.  She is currently responsible for the new Mothers for Education using Sound Science project.

Prior to joining IWF, Amy participated in the Charles G. Koch Associate Program where she worked with the Civil Justice Reform Group, a national organization founded by corporate general counsel to address civil justice reform efforts at the state level.  She has also worked for the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Before moving to Washington, DC, Amy began her career working alongside several influential members of the Georgia General Assembly.  During this time she participated in the passage of a number of substantive pieces of legislation, and served in various roles on several Congressional and state legislative campaigns. 

Amy holds a Juris Doctor degree from Georgia State University College, a Master of Public Administration degree from Georgia College & State University and a Bachelor of Science degree in political science also from Georgia College & State University.