René Ruano is a prime example of self-taught success. Circumstances forced him to leave education early, and the need to grow up fast meant he had to sacrifice his pursuit of knowledge. His determination to say no to drugs and alcohol, in an environment where they were the typical solution, kept him isolated and left him in deep depression, but he was able to use his great creative ability to pull himself out, and with it he produced the saga The Devil's Ruse, comparable to the work of masters like Tolkien.