Peter Atkins was born in England in 1940 and went to the University of Leicester for his first degree (in chemistry) and his PhD (1964). After a year in UCLA as a Harkness Fellow he went to Oxford University as lecturer in physical chemistry and Fellow of Lincoln College, where he remained until his retirement in 2007. Some retirement! He continues to write books, which now number close to 70 with more on the way. He was the founding chairman of IUPAC's Committee on Chemistry Education, which is charged with bringing good practice in the teaching of chemistry, especially in developing countries, and has been a visiting professor in Japan, China, Israel, France, and New Zealand. He continues to lecture widely, both on aspects of chemical education and on the communication of science to the general public. He lives near Oxford.