The author, Andre Gilchrist, is an African American male in his 50's who resides in the state of New Jersey.  Through his participation in the Viet Nam Conflict and other events during the course of his life the author has a lot of experience and knowledge to share with others.  The author has lived through periods in our country's history covering  the assassinations of Medgar Evans outside his home in Jackson, Mississippi; Montgomery Bus Boycott, the killings of Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr., President John F. Kennedy and his brother  Bobby Kennedy as he ran for the presidency, and Malcolm X; the March on Washington; the signing of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act; and the race riots.  All of these experiences has helped shape the author into the person he is today.

     The author is an individual who has had many lows in his life but has reached a point in his life where he has not let his past hold him hostage.    The author has went from being a high school dropout to achieving numerous college degrees and studying abroad.

     The author continues to be an active member in his community.  He has been honored to speak at colleges and universities in his area where he lives.  The author has spoken before the state Governor and the New Jersey State Legislature and continues to make himself available.  The author has been honored by being written about in local newspapers and newsletters as a local success story.  The author tries to live his life in a way that all who come in contact with him will believe that "If I Can Change Then You Can To" & "Out of the Darkness Comes The Light!"

     The author is presently working and concluding his latest manuscript.  It is entitled "A Life Transformed from Fantasy into Reality".  It is an up to date version based on the author's first autobiograhy "You Thought You Couldn't Change, Either" which covers the span of years from the author's birth to 1995 when the book was first published.  This new version of "A Life Transformed from Fantasy into Reality" covers the years of 1996 until this present day.  As the author gets older in life he finds himself dealing with certain issues that he never assumed he would have to confront and deal with.  Mainly because of the lifestyle the author was living he actually never believed that he would reach the age he finds himself  achieving.