James Wasserman was born in 1948. After attending Antioch College, he spent several years traveling in the U.S., settling in New York City in 1973. He began working at Samuel Weiser's Bookstore, then the world's largest English language occult specialist, and after six months moved to the publishing department where he rose to General Manager. He helped develop Weiser's in-house production department, utilizing then state-of-the-art technology—paper tape fed to an outside photo typesetter. Among his many responsibilities, he discovered a love for design while creating his first book jacket, typeset in hot metal. 

In 1977, he left Weiser's to establish Studio 31, offering full service book production and graphic design. In 1983, Studio 31 began producing type with a code intensive front end system: a Kaypro II communicating to a remote Linotron 202 via modem. In 1987 an in-house 202 was acquired, driven by sophisticated PC composition software. In 1993, Studio 31 moved to the delightful Macintosh platform. In 1994 Bill Corsa of Specialty Book Marketing joined Studio 31, Inc. as a partner with responsibilities for marketing and financial management. Bill and Jim have joined their talents to offer book packaging and printing in addition to traditional design and production. 

Jim Wasserman has also played a key role in numerous seminal publications of the literary corpus of the English philosopher, Aleister Crowley. Three of the most important of these include his supervision of Weiser's 1976 edition of The Book of the Law—in which the holograph manuscript was appended to the corrected typeset text of the O.T.O.'s 1938 publication, in conformity with the book's instructions for the first time in a popular volume. After several years of negotiation, he successfully arranged to professionally re-photograph the Crowley/Harris Tarot paintings for an improved second edition of the Thoth Tarot deck published in 1977, to which he also contributed the Booklet of Instruction. In 1983, he helped to produce The Holy Books of Thelema, the critical collection of Crowley's inspired (Class A) writings. 

In 1992, Jim wrote and designed Art and Symbols of the Occult (Inner Traditions), which was revised and expanded in 2005 as The Mystery Traditions: Secret Symbols and Sacred Art. This magnificent collection of full color occult images is unmatched in its depth, scope, and beauty.

In 1993, he edited and wrote an extensive introduction to Aleister Crowley and the Practice of the Magical Diary, which was revised and expanded in 2006 for Redwheel/Weiser. Now fully annotated, it is an immensely useful text for both beginners and serious scholars of Crowley's works.

In 1994, after 15 years of development, his groundbreaking edition of The Egyptian Book of the Dead was published by Chronicle Books. The book features a magnificent color reproduction of the Papyrus of Ani with an integrated English translation. Modern technology and painstaking book design were joined to reclaim and recreate an ancient masterpiece.

In 1996, he edited a new edition of Aleister Crowley's epic poem AHA! with commentaries, to which he contributed an Afterword and redesigned text and cover (New Falcon Publications).

In Spring 2001, his book The Templars and Assassins: The Militia of Heaven, a major study of the medieval Order of Assassins and the Knights Templar, was published by Inner Traditions. It would provide a prophetic look at Islamic Terrorism just four months prior to the September 11 attacks.

The Slave Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty, published in 2004 (Sekmet Books), is his most controversial book. It is a collection of essays devoted to the relationship between Political Liberty and the Spiritual Path.

In 2005, he and his wife Nancy launched The Weiser Concise Guides, a series of books on basic occultism. Each is written by an expert in the field. The series follows the overall theme of accessibility in theory and practice, and each provides the best resources for continued study. Currently in print are titles on Alchemy, Yoga, Herbs, and Astrology. A book on the teachings of Aleister Crowley is currently in development.

In 2006, Jim assembled a magnificent collection of Crusader images for An Illustrated History of the Knight Templar. This full-color masterpiece offers a visual cornupia of the Knights Templar Order, their fortifications in the Holy Land and Europe, historical battles, interpretative romantic paintings, along with modern photographs. The accompanying text and captions help to place the modern Crusades in context. It should not be missed!

In 2007, Secret Societies: Illuminati, Freemasons, and the French Revolution was published by Ibis Press. An enlarged edition of the classic text by Una Birch, Secret Societies and the French Revolution, this book has nearly been doubled in length by Jim's editorial efforts. A must for those who seek to understand the real influence of the Illuminati.

In 2007, he completed the screenplay for Divine Warriors: The Birth of Heresy, an epic historic drama. Against the sweeping background of the medieval Crusades,  two political and religious enemies from opposing mystical secret societies, the Knights Templar and Syrian Assassins, discover a unifying faith that leads them in a fight to protect and liberate mankind.

His latest project is The Secrets of Masonic Washington: Signs, Symbols, and Ceremonies at the Origin of America's Capital. This full-color book provides an inspiring walking tour of Washington DC and all the important Masonic structures and symbols that fill the center of America’s capital. It is a visual testament to the beauty of the  spiritual principles underlying the unique American experiment. Illustrated with maps for all the sites we explore.

He is also writing An Illustrated History of Solomon’s Temple. The Temple is the intersection between Heaven and Earth, the dwelling place of the Lord among His peoples —built when ancient  Israel was at the peak of its political and spiritual power. The site of Solomon’s Temple became the headquarters of the Knights Templar, and is the founding myth of Freemasonry.

In addition to his love of graphic design and an interest in religion and creative mythology, he maintains an ardent passion for political Liberty. He is a student of the United States Constitution and the writings of the Founding Fathers, and is a lifetime member of the NRA,