I was raised in a Boston suburb in the 1960s and 1970s, and learned to read at the age of 3. I became a big fan of National Geographic magazines, Hardy Boys novels, encyclopedias/dictionaries, etc… I Learned to play chess at the age of 7. And after a few years I was winning against my elders on the regular. In September 1982, I completed a grueling 28 day Outward Bound course deep in the Maine wilderness. This experience built my confidence and prepared me well for the world ahead.