Richard Saul Wurman, an information architect, has produced 81 books and 21 influential conferences, including TED and TEDMED. His passion for making information understandable began at the age of 26 with his first book in 1962. Wurman's most successful creations include Access Guides and the best-selling books Information Anxiety and Information Anxiety 2. He also created the first annual Design of Understanding competition for the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Wurman founded the TED Conferences, bringing together influential speakers on various subjects with equally stellar audiences. He has received numerous grants and honorary doctorates and has taught at various universities. He is married to Gloria Nagy and lives in Newport, Rhode Island, with his four children and five grandchildren.