Author Ben Watson graduated from the Arizona Automotive Institute in 1972 and began a varied career as an automotive and truck technician. In the mid-1980s, he became a contract instructor serving local, state and federal motor vehicle fleet organizations. Starting in 1985 Watson has worked as an independent contract instructor, written a dozen books on automotive technology, held an assistant professorship at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, served as a training manager for two truck companies and still found time to keep abreast of the latest technology and techniques related to repair and maintenance of motor vehicles and their systems.