Edward Conze (1904–1979) was a pioneering scholar of Buddhism in the West. Prior to that career, he had been a Marxist philosopher and political activist. He authored several works in political psychology during the 1930s, and today he is best known for his translations and commentaries on the Prajñāpāramitā literature and for several other books on Buddhism. Richard N. Levine is a former student and personal secretary to Dr. Edward Conze. He is a medical doctor and retired Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCSF School of Medicine. Nathan H. Levine is currently studying for a PhD in Ancient Greek and Roman Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.