Lowell Smith has had a life-long curiosity about the American way of life. For twenty-seven of those years (1977-2004) he authored a nationally syndicated feature which answered qu...view moreLowell Smith has had a life-long curiosity about the American way of life. For twenty-seven of those years (1977-2004) he authored a nationally syndicated feature which answered questions from readers about their lifestyle interests. His column, The Average American-How do you compare? , was read weekly by some 12 million Americans in more than 120 national and regional newspapers. In addition, the feature was used as resource questions for the television game show, Hollywood Squares.His fascination with the game of golf has paralleled his lifestyle interests for more than four decades “Golf is that unique athletic adventure that forces you to attempt to understand yourself more than any other sport, “Smith says. His life-long appreciation for the examined life has led him to delve into the historical, philosophical and emotional dimensions of the game.Smith's appreciation for the enduring wit,wisdom and sarcasm of Mark Twain began with a high school book review assignment. According to Smith, " I chose The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County-it was a book review assignment that wrote itself, and I soon became a Mark Twain fan for life."Lowell Smith lives in St. Helena, California, in the heart of the Napa Valley wine country. He is active in community affairs and served a twelve year stent as the town’s Mayor.view less