John Tracy Kidder is an American writer of nonfiction books, born on November 12, 1945. He received the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for his book The Soul of a New Machine (1981), which delves into the creation of a new computer at Data General Corporation. His other acclaimed work includes the biography of Paul Farmer, titled Mountains Beyond Mountains (2003).

Kidder is renowned as a literary journalist, known for his strong narrative and personal voice. He cites John McPhee, A. J. Liebling, and George Orwell as major influences on his writing. In a 1984 interview, Kidder said, "McPhee has been my model. He's the most elegant of all the journalists writing today, I think."

In a 1994 essay, he stated, "In fiction, believability may have nothing to do with reality or even plausibility. It has everything to do with those things in nonfiction. I think that the nonfiction writer's fundamental job is to make what is true believable."