David Cook spent his early years in subsidized housing. When he was ten, his family moved into a more secure neighborhood. He credits his father, who worked six days a week to afford the new neighborhood.
Cook spent more than three decades working blue-collar jobs but began attending Capital University at the age of fifty. He earned his bachelor's degree in social work. He then earned his master's degree in clinical social work from the Ohio State University.
Cook worked in drug and alcohol treatment programs at a county mental health agency. He also offered anger management training and solution-focused therapy for a variety of issues. Although he officially retired when he was sixty-five, he continued volunteering part time as a therapist.
Cook writes from a serene cottage on his six-acre plot of land. He is active in his Native American community.
