Bill White was born in 1969, and adopted by the people who became his family in that same year. At the age of ten, his parents separated, and five members of his family died, including his beloved grandmother, who passed away in his presence on Christmas Day, 1979. At an age when most young people are riding their bikes, playing baseball, and not worrying about much other than their homework, Bill had already come face to face with that question, "What is the use?" He immersed himself in a study of ancient and modern philosophical, theological and metaphysical traditions from throughout the world, seeking an answer to that question.