Jim Hightower grew up in Denison, Texas, and worked his way through college at North Texas State University in Denton as assistant general manager of the Denton Chamber of Commerce. He earned a B.A. in government at North Texas before completing a year of graduate studies in international affairs at Columbia University. After moving to Washington, D.C., in the late 1960s, Hightower worked for the Congressional Research Service, was legistlative aide to U.S. Senator Ralph Yarborough, worked for the Rural Housing Alliance. In 1976 he returned to Texas an became editor of the and during the 1980s he held the posts of president of the Texas Consumer Association, Texas Agriculture Commissioner, and chair of the National Democratic Party Agriculture Council. Since 1991 Hightower has hosted numerous radio talk shows as an advocate of left-of-center politics. He has written numerous books, including (1997) and (2000).