Bestselling author and editor, David Elliot Cohen has written or co-authored more than seventy large-format illustrated books -- many with Rick Smolan -- that have collectively sold more than 5 million copies. Most were in the hugely popular Day in the Life or America 24/7 photography book series co-founded by Cohen and Smolan.

Four of Cohen's books -- A Day in the Life of America (1986), A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union (1987), Christmas in America (1988) and America 24/7 (2003) -- have been New York Times bestsellers. Many others have been national bestsellers in the US and abroad, including A Day in the Life of Canada and A Day in the Life of Spain. Cohen also authored a popular travelogue, One Year Off, in 1999.

Recent works: Cohen's America 24/7 Project (2003-2005) was the largest documentary photography project in history. Participants included 25,000 digital photographers including 4,000 professionals from all fifty states. The project produced 53 illustrated books -- a national book, books for all 50 states plus Dogs 24/7 and Cats 24/7. The America 24/7 Project also launched 24/7 Media's groundbreaking "Custom Cover" technology. Introduced on the Oprah Winfrey Show and featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Today Show, Custom Cover technology has allowed more than 80,000 buyers to put their own digital pictures on the cover of 24/7 books.

In 2002, Cohen's A Day in the Life of Africa project deployed 95 photojournalists from 23 countries throughout the African continent. In a single 24-hour span, these photojournalists shot more than 50,000 images and 100 hours of videos depicting Africa's vibrant people, landscape and culture. All publishing profits from A Day in the Life of Africa were donated to AIDS education programs for Africa.

Awards: Cohen has garnered many awards including the Innovation in Photography Award from the American Society of Media Photographers, several National Press Photographers Association and World Press Photo Awards, a National Jewish Book Award, the American Jewish Committee's humanitarian award for A Day in the Life of Africa, a Catholic Press Association Award for The Circle of Life and a silver medal from Spain. Cohen was named a literary laureate of the San Francisco Public Library for his travelogue, One Year Off.

Press: Cohen has been profiled in The New York Times, People and other major periodicals. He has appeared often on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Sunday Morning, NPR's All Things Considered and other major programs. His books have appeared twice each on the covers of Time and Newsweek.

Giving Back: Cohen is particularly proud of three books he produced and published on a charitable basis: 15 Seconds: The California Earthquake of 1989, which raised more than $600,000 for victims of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake; Requiem for the Heartland, which raised nearly $300,000 for 1995 Oklahoma City bombing victims; and A Day in the Life of Africa (2002), which benefited AIDS education programs in Africa.

Personal: Cohen, a Yale graduate, lives in the San Francisco Bay area. He is engaged to attorney Laureen Seeger. Between them, they have five wonderful children -- Kara (18), Will (17), Lucas (12), Angela (8) and Grace (6) -- and one huge white Labrador retriever.