James Hilgendorf is a filmmaker, speaker, poet, and the author of eleven non-fiction books.  His books cover a wide range of subjects - religion, politics, economics, science, social issues, and the future of America.

He was the producer, along with his brother John, of “The Tribute Series”, a highly-acclaimed series of travel videos that are in homes, libraries and schools all across America, several of which have appeared on PBS and international television. Of The Tribute Series, the Seattle Times writes: "The Hilgendorf brothers are unique in the world of travel videos...No one is better at revealing the heart of a place than brothers Jim and John Hilgendorf." 

He was also the creator of “America's Dialogue”, a series of video productions and discussions on topics of national interest, including Hiroshima and nuclear weapons, healthcare, interviews with youth about the future of America, and others. 

He is a long-time member of the SGI, or Soka Gakkai International, the largest Buddhist lay organization in the world now, with 12,000,000 members in 192 countries and territories around the globe - a movement of  people of all backgrounds working for peace, education, and culture, grounded upon the fundamental premise that the life of the individual, and, indeed, of all of life is deserving of the highest respect.

His books, both in paperback or e-book format, are widely available through bookstores or through your favorite online bookseller.

To arrange talks, contact him directly by email at:

jameshilgendorf1 (at) gmail.com