Vin T. Sparano is the author of Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia. He has been an outdoor editor and writer for more than 50 years. He is editor emeritus of Outdoor Life magazine, having served as editor-in-chief from 1990 to 1995, and previously as the executive editor for more than 10 years. Sparano has written and edited 18 books, including The American Fisherman's Fresh and Saltwater Guide, Northeast and Southeast Guides to Saltwater Fishing and Boating, Hunting Dangerous Game, and Game Birds and Gun Dogs. In 1996, Sparano was awarded the United States Department of the Interior Conservation Service Award by Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt. In 2003, Sparano was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the New York Metropolitan Outdoor Press Association for his extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to outdoor journalism, conservation, and children's fishing programs. In 2009, Sparano was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Fisherman's Conservation Association. In 2013, he was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.