David Elliot Cohen is an Americanauthor and editor who has, over a 30-year span, created more than 70 photography books. He is probably best known for the best-selling Day in the Life and America 24/7 series of photography books that he co-created with Rick Smolan. Cohen created four New York Times bestsellers: A Day in the Life of America , A Day in the Life of the Soviet Union, Christmas in America, and America 24/7. His 2009 book, was a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestseller. His 2008 book, What Matters combined photo-reportage about essential issues of our time with essays by prominent commentators including Samantha Power, Jeffrey Sachs and Bill McKibben. The Chicago Tribune called the book, "Powerful and passionate." He also wrote a travelogue, One Year Off, which chronicles a rambling 16-month trip around the world by land, air, and sea with his three children, Kara, William, and Lucas. The San Francisco Chronicle called the book "honest, reflective, and often uproariously funny,". The New York Times was less flattering, calling it, "a book that proves it is also possible to goalmost everywhere and learn almost nothing." Cohen wrote a second travelogue in 2016, entitled The Wrong Dog. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said “Despite the adorable puppy portrait on the cover, the book is more than the story of Simba and the cross-country road trip. It’s a beautifully written memoir... funny, sweet, and sad.” Cohen was born in Buffalo, New York, grew up in Erie, Pennsylvania, and lived in Manhattan for ten years before settling in Marin County, California. He graduated from Yale University in 1977 with a degree in English literature. His honors include a National Jewish Book Award, the American Jewish Committee's humanitarian award, a Catholic Press Association Award and a silver medal from the king of Spain for the promotion of Spanish tourism. In 2018 The Wrong Dog won an International Book Award, a National Indie Excellence Award and an Independent Press Award, all in the animal and pet books category.
