There were many people who suffered through the ridiculously long time it took me to write this manuscript. For their support and sharp criticism, I want to thank Penny Brandt, Nina Solomon, Sam Alfstad, and Gayle Dinerstein, as well as my agent, the Whack-a-Mole champ Doug Stewart, and his very perceptive assistant, Seth Fishman. Jim, Robby, and Teddy O’Connor not only were wonderful readers but also provided many of the best lines in the book, sometimes unwittingly.