Jack Kerouac, the author of On the Road, was born in Lowell Massachusetts, in 1922. He was educated in the Catholic school system and later received a scholarship to Columbia University for football. While at Columbia University, Kerouac meet Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassidy, and William Burroughs. These friends of Kerouac would later become character in his books which were based on Kerouac's life. After dropping out of Columbia in his sophomore year, Kerouac joined the Merchant Marines. Published in 1957, On the Road is Kerouac's second book and one of his most popular books. The book also became one of the most well known books of his generation of writers. On the Road is said to be an actual account of the travels of Kerouac and his Columbia friends while in the Merchant Marines. Other works by Jack Kerouac include his first novel, The Town and the City, The Dharma...