Mack W. Borgen is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a national award-winning author for his first two volumes of Dead Serious and Lighthearted - The Memorable Words of Modern America and for his prior books, The Relevance of Reason (Vols I and II).

He is a native of Montana and was raised in the Pacific Northwest and the Midwest. Upon graduation from the University of California at Berkeley with Honors in Economics, he delivered one of the last University-wide Commencement Addresses. Then, after graduating from law school, he served more than four years in the U.S. Army.

He lived in Europe for a short period before returning to California and Montana where for years he has simultaneously practiced law and continued to write about various economic, political, and social matters.

In 2008, he partly withdrew from both business and his law practice in order to devote himself to the writing of a long-planned series of books about the current American condition and about how we, together, gently, honorably, and as a country, can do better. In the last four years, he has devoted much of his time to the writing the three volumes of Dead Serious and Lighthearted - The Memorable Words of Modern America. Over his career, Borgen has also taught at various times at Rutgers University (Camden, NJ)(History of the Labor Movement) and the University of Virginia (Charlottesville, VA) (History of the Supreme Court), and, more recently, in Santa Barbara, California. He now lives with his wife and son in Santa Barbara, California. Mack W. Borgen's blogs and excerpts from his other writings and speeches may be viewed at mackwborgen.com.

Borgen first books, The Relevance of Reason - The Hard Facts and Real Data about the State of Current America (Volume I)(Business and Politics) and Volume II (Society and Culture) (2013) won numerous book awards and recognitions including Best Business Book of the Year (First Runner-Up)(2014 Los Angeles Book Festival) (Vol I); Award Finalist in Political Science (ForeWord Review) (2014) (Vol. I); Best Book of the Year (Popular Culture) (Bronze Award Winner)(Vol II) (2014); and Award Finalist - Eric Hofer National Book Contest (Vol II) (2014).

“Borgen (The Relevance of Reason, 2013) bravely undertakes the herculean task of presenting an overview of recent U.S. history... Crucially, the author follows each of these entries (of the Memorable Words from Speeches, Books, Writings, and Other Sources) with a concise explanation of 'context, meaning, and impact' ... (T)he volume retains a depth that goes far beyond simple nostalgia. The work's approach to the study of history may inspire the search for commonalities without erasing differences. ... A solid and entertaining reference book packed with cultural highlights and pivotal moments from a wide array of sources.”
– Kirkus Reviews