Alex Prud'homme was raised in New York City, and graduated from Middlebury College, in Vermont, with a B.A. in history and a minor in oceanography. A planned three-month trip to Asia turned into a two-year adventure around the world, during which he worked odd jobs and took notes. It was this experience that inspired him to become a writer. Prud'homme worked as a fact-checker at New York magazine, then became a staff writer at BusinessMonth, Time, People and Talk magazines. He has written for The New York Times, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair, among other publications. He is the author of five books, most notably as co-writer of Julia Child's memoir, "My Life in France" (2006), which became a #1 New York Times best-seller, and inspired half the film "Julie & Julia," starring Meryl Streep and directed by Nora Ephron. He has also written: "Forewarned" (2003), about post-9/11 security, with Michael Cherkasky; "The Cell Game" (2004), about the ImClone biotech scandal; "The Ripple Effect" (2011), about the importance of fresh water this century, which led to the documentary film "Last Call at the Oasis"; and Hydrofracking: What Everyone Needs to Know (2013).