Journalist David Mendell has been writing about urban issues and politics for the Chicago Tribune since 1998. Over his tenure at the Tribune, Mendell has also covered breaking national news including the Columbine High School shootings and the Seattle riots spurred by meetings of the World Trade Organization. From October 2003 to November 2004, Mendell covered Barack Obama's U.S. Senate campaign for the Tribune. Having gained intimate access to Obama and his top aides, the journalist spent nearly three years thereafter researching and writing a biography of the Senator. The 400-page account of Obama's life was released by HarperCollins Publishers in August 2007. Mendell, a native of Cincinnati, lives in Oak Park, Illinois. Mendell can be reached at .