stephen cawood's bio

Stephen Cawood is a Canadian writer. Before becoming a full-time writer, Stephen worked as a Program Manager in the Microsoft Office Server group (see full resumé).

While working in the Content Management Server (MCMS) development group, Stephen's duties included writing specifications and sample code for MCMS. He also received three patent awards for his work on web-based content management, and had the good fortune to speak at various technical conferences. These trips included Microsoft TechEd conferences in New Zealand, Australia, and Stephen's home country--South Africa.

During his time at Microsoft, Stephen co-wrote Microsoft Content Management Server 2002: A Complete Guide (Addison-Wesley). After Stephen got married, he moved back to Canada and continued his writing career.

As a Beta tester for Halo 2, Stephen was so impressed with the game that his first solo book was a detailed exploration of real-world military strategy applied to Halo 2 multiplayer games. The book is entitled The Unauthorized Halo 2 Battle Guide: Advanced Combat Techniques (Thompson Course Technology) and it sold 10,000 copies in its first three weeks on the shelf. Stephen's other books include The Black Art of Halo Mods (Sams), and Halo 2 Hacks (O'Reilly and Associates).

In his free time, Stephen enjoys playing water polo, squash and snowboarding. He also trains with a local Jujitsu and grappling club.