For more than 40 years, Richard Fallquist has called Mercer Island home. During that time, he's built a successful career, raised a family, contributed to the insurance industry, and now, in retirement, published a book that encourages readers to slow down and discover some of history's greatest works of literature, art, music, and philosophy.

Richard grew up in Spokane Valley and graduated from Central Valley High School before earning his MBA from Washington State University. In 1981, he and his late wife, Marlene, chose Mercer Island as the place to build their lives together.

Marlene was a bacteriologist and medical technologist before beginning a second career as a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Bain, where she helped Mercer Island families buy and sell homes for 27 years. Together, they raised two sons who graduated from Mercer Island High School and went on to impressive careers of their own.

Their oldest son, Stephen, graduated with the Mercer Island High School Class of 1993 before attending Whitman College and earning his law degree from the University of Oregon. Today, he serves as a civil prosecutor in Skagit County and lives in Conway, Washington, with his wife, Jennifer.

Their younger son, Michael, graduated from Mercer Island High School in 1995 before attending Colgate University and Cornell University. Today, he's an entrepreneur in the green energy industry and owner of Energywell. He and his wife, Kelly, live in Westport, Connecticut.

Richard is also the proud grandfather of four, and he credits Mercer Island with providing the kind of community that helped shape his family's journey. "Mercer Island is a highly livable place," he says. "There's a strong sense of community, friendly neighbors, excellent schools, beautiful waterfront, and easy access to both Seattle and Bellevue."

Professionally, Richard enjoyed a distinguished 50-year career as a consulting actuary. A Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, he worked for Travelers, American General, and Safeco before becoming a consultant with Milliman & Robertson in Seattle. He later became a partner with Coopers & Lybrand and Ernst & Young before eventually opening his own actuarial consulting practice.

But mathematics wasn't his only passion.

During the 1980s, as laptop computers were beginning to change the workplace, Richard developed one of the insurance industry's pioneering actuarial software programs. Originally called Exhibitmaker and later renamed Reserve Pro, the software brought together numerous actuarial reserving methods into a single program used by actuaries, insurance companies, accountants, and risk managers throughout North America. The program remained an industry standard for nearly three decades.

"I thoroughly enjoyed writing and marketing Exhibitmaker and Reserve Pro over the years," Richard says. "Now retired, I'm happy to be marketing a new area of interest—helping people enjoy the Great Works."

That lifelong interest in organizing information and making complex topics more approachable would eventually lead to an entirely new chapter. "As a consulting actuary, I had very little time to read fiction," Richard says. "When I retired, I finally had the opportunity to explore the classics I'd always wanted to read."

He began by creating lists of highly regarded books and pairing them with online lectures and videos that helped make the material easier to understand and appreciate. What started as a personal learning project soon became something much larger. "I realized I had created a method to explore and enjoy the Great Works without a major investment in time and effort," he explains. "I wanted to share that approach with others."

The result is Great Works and Me, a guide that introduces readers to some of history's most enduring literature, plays, art, music, opera, and the Bible in an approachable, enjoyable way. Rather than serving as an academic textbook, the book is an invitation to explore the Western Canon at whatever pace feels right.

Richard credits a chance reunion with high school classmate Jennifer McCord, an editorial and publishing consultant, with helping bring the project to life. Working alongside editors and a graphic designer, the team transformed his vision into a beautifully published book.

His analytical background also shaped the book's organization. "Actuarial science requires structure and organization," he says. "I've always enjoyed lists."

Each chapter includes an introduction, carefully selected videos, and curated recommendations that help readers connect with works spanning centuries of human creativity. Along the way, Richard found himself captivated by stories and artists ranging from Homer's Odyssey and Shakespeare to Picasso, Bach, Chopin, and countless others.

Yet he believes the greatest reward isn't simply reading another classic—it's discovering something about yourself in the process.

"I want readers to add this extraordinary dimension to their lives at their own pace," he says. "To find time to explore, reflect, revisit books they've loved, discover new favorites, and experience the joy of voices from the past that still resonate today."

In an age of constant notifications and endless distractions, Richard believes the classics remain remarkably relevant. "The examined life emphasizes self-reflection," he says. "It's important to slow down in this fast-paced world and see the humanity that echoes across centuries into what we need today."

For anyone who has ever felt intimidated by classic literature, art, or music, his advice is simple. "Have no fear. Explore whatever captures your attention. Enjoy these works at whatever pace, depth, or route you choose."

Ultimately, Richard hopes Great Works and Me inspires readers to begin a lifelong journey of discovery. "If someone finishes the book and explores just one Great Work," he says, "I hope it leads them to another...and another."

After a career helping professionals solve complex problems, Richard Fallquist is now helping readers discover something equally rewarding: the timeless ideas, stories, music, and art that continue to shape our world—and ourselves.