Lawrence Pintak has spent his life grounded in facts while fascinated by the ethereal. An award-winning former CBS News Middle East correspondent and author of seven books at the intersection of religion, media and policy, Pintak is also an avid student of the perennial truths at the core of the world's religions. His reporting and analysis on international affairs has been published in The New York Times, Foreign Policy, and many of the world's leading media organizations, while his articles about Buddhism and Eastern traditions have appeared in Shambhala Sun/Lion's Roar, Buddhadharma, Beliefnet.com and others. His most recent non-fiction book, America & Islam, was a finalist for the 2020 Religion News Association award for Religion Reporting Excellence.