[7] The family emigrated to Australia in 1955 and eventually there were four children: Lynne, David (Jim), Chris and Gill.
[7] Tom Penman worked in different roles, including academic with the University of Adelaide and Chief Engineer at Carlton United Breweries.
[9] In 1974, Penman commenced PhD degree studies at La Trobe University, under the supervision of June Philipp, who was part of a network of ethnographic historians called "the Melbourne Group"[10] The PhD thesis looked at character as a key to understanding history.
[2] In 1988 VIP Home Services came into the market in Victoria, which prompted Penman to systemise his own processes and create the Jim's Mowing franchise.
[2] However, he has a reputation for becoming angry quickly and for "being a firer", with a high turnover at the Jim's Group national office.
[21] The intended application of the research being to halt his predicted economic and moral decline of the West, with subsequent takeover by China and then a unified Africa.
[3][5] However, in Biohistory: Decline and Fall of the West, Jim makes clear his view that genes cannot explain the differences between populations, since humans are genetically quite similar.
[2] However, in 2006 he began funding research at La Trobe University's School of Psychological Science under Tony Paolini based on the theories in his books.
[4][25] His intended future research includes the behavioral and physiological benefits of mild food shortage (without restricting food) on adverse epigenetic effects of early environment[30] and a drug to make people more focused, more hard working, more intelligent and creative,[3] and using CRISPR to make genetic and epigenetic changes.