J. Maarten Troost (b.1969) is the author of three books about his experiences in the Pacific Islands and 3-month trip to China. Troost writes about the part of his life spent in the South Pacific in Getting Stoned with Savages (2006) and The Sex Lives of Cannibals (2004) -- and one on a trip to China: Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid (2008).
He has also written essays for The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post, and the Prague Post, the latter while he was a student. He has also been a consultant for the World Bank.
Troost was born in the Netherlands of Dutch-Czech descent. He grew up in Canada and currently lives in California.