About the author Matthias Scharlach was born in Germany in 1950 and spent his childhood and adolescence there. After finishing school and completing a locksmith's apprenticeship, he studied to become a certified teacher of mathematics and physics, worked as a teacher, and then focused on researching personality psychology. He spent several years as a university lecturer, wrote doctoral theses, and had work published both within Germany and abroad. In 1989, he became a professor, and founded a university institute for educational sciences. The emergence of personality tests and assessments saw him move fields, at the age of 41, from the university sphere to the free economy, where he has since been running seminars on management training, change management, the development of personal core competencies, and career planning. He fell into prose unintentionally through his various encounters and stimulating discussions with different political, business and cultural figures. His aphorisms are thus smile-inducing "distillates" from his observations of human behavior in decision-making and challenging situations. They invite readers to reflect and improve. Designed as a smart giveaway, his "Enjoy Your Business" booklet features a collection of sayings on the manifestations of those "all-too-human" things. His life philosophy is "Do things with enthusiasm and commitment, or don't do them at all!". Matthias Scharlach is happily married with two sons. He loves good food in a stylish setting, but can just as easily spend a couple of weeks slumming it in the wilderness. He is constantly fascinated by foreign cultures, interesting people, adventures and the art of problem-solving. His favorite authors are Raymond Chandler and Jonas Jonasson, and his favorite painter and sculptor is Bruno Bruni. He likes the music of Dire Straits and Maurice Ravel.