Born in South Africa in 1969 to an English father and a Swiss mother, Steven Crook grew up in the south of England. Moving to Taiwan in 1991, he began writing for newspapers and magazines in 1996. Currently working as a freelance writer and editor, he continues to travel widely around the country and explore its cultural and natural attractions. An avid reader of fiction as well as history and geography, he rates Martin Amis and Ian McEwan as his current favourite authors. His first iPhone app, "Taiwan for Culture Vultures," hit the market in December 2011. He has also contributed to Guidegecko.com, a travel website, writing about Thailand as well as Taiwan. He is currently updating his guidebook, "Taiwan: The Bradt Travel Guide." The second edition is due to be published in spring 2014.