Jack London was a famous American writer. He was born on January 12, 1876, in America. His family was very poor, and Jack had to leave school to make a living when he was twelve. He worked very hard. Later Jack returned to school. He was strict with himself and worked hard at every subject, especially ( 尤其 ) literature ( 文学 ) . In 1897, he went to Alaska to look for gold( 黄金 ). Instead of getting gold, he found material for his books and stories. He returned home and started to write. His writings were so successful that he became rich and famous in his twenties. But Jack London was not a happy man. He took his own life in 1916 when he was only 40 years old.