John Armstrong was born in Glasgow, educated in Oxford and London and moved to Australia in 2001. He is the author of seven books, including In Search of Civilisation (2009); Love Life Goethe (2006) and The Secret Power of Beauty (2004) – all published by Penguin. He is currently Senior Advisor in the Office of the Vice Chancellor, University of Melbourne. How to Worry Less About Money, came out in May 2012.
He lectures widely, is a regular commentator on ABC radio and is a contributor to major international newspapers and journals.