Ian Lawton gained a degree in Economics from UCL and helped to found a business and IT consultancy company. Then, in his mid-thirties he forsook the commercial world to become a full-time writer-researcher specializing in ancient history, esoterica and spiritual philosophy.His first two books, Giza: The Truth (1999) and Genesis Unveiled (2003), were published by Virgin and have sold over 30,000 copies worldwide.In his third, The Book of the Soul (2004), he first developed the idea of 'Rational Spirituality,' in addition to establishing himself as one of the world's leading authorities on the interlife. This was followed by The Wisdom of the Soul (2007) and The Little Book of the Soul (2007).