David J. Nelson

David's favorite hobbies include Unicorn Riding, reading, hiking, writing, learning about different cultures and how they connect to each other. His passion for learning about new cultures started when David lived in Japan as a child in the 1980's. Living in Haiti, Zambia, Switzerland, Morocco, France, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, and the Philippines transformed his international experience into a passion for the Arts. It shaped his studies and career as a diplomat. His interest in world culture culminated into a writing career. The first of his published works, "Ending World Poverty: The Elusive Goal of The United Nations Development Program" was copyrighted by the National Library of Canada in 1997 (https://ruor.uottawa.ca/handle/10393/4157).

In a world that is constantly at odds over our differences, David's discoveries unite us by revealing facts about what we share in common as human beings living together on this planet.

For example, why do all world cultures respect the number 8 as a symbol of power and prosperity? According to Hindus in India, the Goddess of wealth and prosperity, Lakshmi, comes in 8 forms. Did you know that the Chinese government carefully chose the date of 08/08/2008 to bring good luck and success to the Beijing Olympics? Is it true that a license plate in Hong Kong sold for 2.3 million U.S. dollars- just because the license plate had a combination of the number 8 that represents wealth? Have you ever noticed that Buddhists believe the path to enlightenment is eightfold? And, have you ever wondered why exactly 8 people were saved by Noah's Ark according to the bible? Why does the Jewish faith celebrate Chanukah for exactly 8 nights? And why are Jewish male children circumcised only on the 8th day after birth?

Did you know that science is also filled with examples of 8's power? Exactly 8 nucleons make a complete shell within an atomic nucleus. How many electrons reside in a shell? The answer is 8. Eight is the largest number in the Fibonacci sequence according to mathematics. How many different blood types do we have total as human beings? You guessed it!

The unique and ubiquitous power of 8 is woven into the fabric that binds our civilization together across disciplines of science, religion, and world literature. In a world that is constantly at odds over our differences, why not take a moment to consider what we share in common as human beings living on this planet together?

Backed by popular demand, David's most recent book "Ashta 8: This Book Holds the Infinite Power of Eight." is now published in eight languages. Readers from around the world can enjoy the book in English, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Hindi, and Hungarian.

David J. Nelson earned his B.A. in Political Science from the University of Georgia and he also holds a M.A. in International and Comparative Politics from the University of Ottawa. He currently lives in Brazil with his wife Letty, his son Andre, and his dog Julie. The street address of their home is 8.