Joseph Sheppherd, who passed away in 2015, was a world citizen. A cultural and linguistic anthropologist and archaeologist, he used his wide experience living in many countries and his gift for engaging storytelling to captivate the readers of his many books and the spellbound audiences at his numerous talks and presentations. Joseph lived in the United States, Great Britain, Panama, Colombia and Slovakia, and spent many years among the tribal rainforest peoples in the jungles of Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea.

Those who knew Joseph recognized him as a true Renaissance man—a writer, author, teacher, sculptor, graphic artist, fabricator and painter who excelled not only as a renowned anthropologist but as an expert in indigenous cultures, factory and museum management, antiquities restoration, architectural design, homebuilding and as a dedicated Baha’i. Joseph published at least 10 books before the year 2000, and lost an additional 15 unpublished manuscripts in a house fire in Oregon in 2002. Like his diverse intellect, his books broadly ranged from professional publications to Baha'i-centered introductory works, children's literature, non-fiction, poetry and science/speculative fiction.

Joseph died in Trnava, Slovakia, on April 9, 2015. Published with the permission of the Baha'i Publishing Trust of the United States and Joseph’s widow Jan Sheppherd, BahaiTeachings.org dedicates this serialization of Joseph’s introductory Baha'i book A Wayfarer’s Guide to Bringing the Sacred Home to his memory.