JOHN A. READ's journey into astronomy began with a small and rickety telescope purchased at his local pharmacy. He found it fascinating to observe the Moon and Saturn with its rings using such meagre equipment. He decided to share these views with others. After writing his first book, 50 Things to See with a Telescope, John retired from a career in corporate finance. He is also the author of 50 Things to See on the Moon and co-author of 50 Animals that Have Been to Space. He is now a telescope operator at the Burke-Gaffney Observatory, a board member of the Halifax Centre of the royal Astronomical Society of Canada and is studying astrophysics at Saint Mary's University. He lives with his family in Halifax, Nova Scotia.