Are we our bodies? Is a small person less than a big person, then? If we were our bodies, then when we lost an arm, or a leg, would we be less, would we begin to fade from existence? No. We are the same person. We are not our bodies; we are our thoughts. As they form, they define who we are, and create the reality of our existence.

Terry Goodkind (born in 1948) is an American writer and author of the epic fantasy The Sword of Truth series as well as the contemporary suspense novel The Law of Nines which has ties to his fantasy series and The Omen Machine which is a direct sequel thereof. Before his success as an author Goodkind worked primarily as a painter as well as doing carpentry and woodworking.

It was adapted into a television series called Legend of the Seeker; it premiered on November 1 2008 and ran for two seasons ending in May 2010. The Sword of Truth series sold twenty-five million copies worldwide and was translated into more than twenty languages. Before his success as an author Goodkind worked primarily as a painter as well as doing carpentry and woodworking.