Dr. David West Reynolds is an archaeologist who has been on field expeditions around the world and has authored several scientific archeological publications. The world of Star Wars interests Reynolds because it is "a culture from another time and place to explore"—not all that different from the worlds of ancient Rome or Egypt which he has studied as an archaeologist. In addition to Star Wars Episode 1: The Visual Dictionary, from which this selection was taken, Reynolds has written Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary, Star Wars: Incredible Cross-Sections, and Star Wars Episode I: Incredible Cross-Sections. For his work on the Episode 1 Visual Dictionary, Reynolds spent several weeks at Skywalker Ranch (Lucasfilm headquarters) where he talked with propmakers, special-effects technicians, and scriptwriters who worked on the Star Wars movies. His research makes him an expert on Star Wars. Reynolds lives in Marin County, California.