Mike Bruton knew both JLB and Margaret Smith (and many of the other characters in this story) and succeeded Margaret as Director of then-JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology. He draws on his experience as a scientist and informal science educator to bring to life the story of how the Smiths overcame overwhelming odds, and survived many life-threatening dangers, in order to achieve their ambitious goals. He has recently published his autobiography, When I was a Fish – Tales of an Ichthyologist, as well as two books on the coelacanth: The Annotated Old Fourlegs – The Updated Story of the Coelacanth and, for younger readers, The Amazing Coelacanth. He lives in Cape Town with his wife, Carolynn.