Mark Baker is a freelance travel writer with a penchant for offbeat stories and forgotten places. He's originally from the United States, but now makes his home in the Czech capital, Prague. He writes mainly travel guides on Eastern and Central Europe for publishers like Lonely Planet, Frommer's, Fodor's and National Geographic, but finds real satisfaction in digging up stories in places that are either too remote or too quirky for the guides. He also contributes occasionally to publications like The Wall Street Journal and National Geographic Traveler. Prior to becoming an author, he worked as a journalist for The Economist, Bloomberg News and Radio Free Europe.When he's not traveling, these days he's teaching Central European history and journalism at Anglo-American University in Prague or out riding his bike. He has a master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University in New York.