William James Durant (1885 - 1981); US author, educator and historian. In 1926, his book, The Story of Philosophy, became a bestseller. Thereafter he devoted himself exclusively to writing. His works include Adventures in Genius (1931), On the Meaning of Life (1932), as well as a multi-volume work entitled The Story of Civilization, the first volume of which was published in 1935. —PDC Volume 4 Approved Glossary