William S. Root (1923–2002) was an American professional bridge player who was also a noted teacher and writer about the game. He was inducted into the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame in 1997, and was author of several acclaimed books on bridge, including Commonsense Bidding: The Most Complete Guide to Modern Methods of Standard Bidding and How to Play a Bridge Hand: 12 Easy Chapters to Winning Bridge by America's Premier Teacher.

Omar Sharif, an actor best known for his roles in the films Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, and Funny Girl, was considered one of the world's best bridge players. He also wrote the introduction to How to Play a Bridge Hand. In his later years, Sharif retired to his home in Cairo, Egypt, where he died in 2015.