My sincere thanks go to the participants in The Courage to Change who gave so freely of themselves and welcomed me into their homes. It is their book as well—a collective effort.
I am also grateful to Dr. Rob Roy McGregor, who opened the door into the publishing world for me and guided me to Austin Olney at Houghton Mifflin. Michael Medved played a key role, with his enthusiasm for the project at the right time, by introducing me to Arthur and Richard Pine. Over the months I have continually leaned on Richard for his professional expertise and enthusiasm. My very good friend and confidant, Paul Kasper, has kept me on an even keel—through all the highs and lows of this book as well as life. David Dodd, who handled all of the research and checked the transcripts, has been constantly involved in the book-making process. His professionalism and good humor in taking care of a hundred and one other thankless "things to do" reflect his commitment to this book.
I have the deepest appreciation for the heroic efforts of Yvette Mandell, who transcribed thousands of pages of tapes, handled my correspondence, and coordinated the efforts of others at the word processors, especially Ray Tess, Robin Thompson, Judy Garry, and Michelle Mikulec. Mel Niser, who heads AAA Typing, let his staff meet my deadlines. Thanks also to Patty Steeby for her assistance when the crunch was on, and to Leonore Bechtel, who helped me with the original presentation. Sharon Kraft came through at the eleventh hour, and Lori Andiman made sure that Richard Pine and I always talked.
At Houghton Mifflin my sincere thanks go to all who have played a part in the creation of this book, especially Austin Olney for his commitment to the idea from the beginning. He has repeatedly placed the concept of producing a good book over selling books. I also appreciate his sensitivity to me as a first-time author, and as a human being. Larry Kessenich has made an outstanding contribution in organizational suggestions and making the book more readable. Geraldine Morse, Virginia Ehrlich, Helena Bentz, Jessie Dorin, Steve Lewers, Tira Nelson, Louise Noble, Bob Overholtzer, and Steve Pekich all helped, too. The editorial board of Houghton Mifflin should be confident that their decision to publish The Courage to Change will help many people. At WTVS, I appreciate the enthusiasm for this project by our boss, Bob Larson.
At "LateNight America" I want to thank Bill Pace, Dianne Hudson, Jan Zap Jungquist, Carole Gibson, Karen Melamed, Deborah Maldonado, Clark Attebury, Jeff Kirk, Carlota Almanza, Andrea Amato, Barbara Diggs-Berry, and especially Jack Caldwell and Henrietta Fridholm, who, probably without realizing it, have helped me to grow. A special thank-you to three friends who have died along the way but contributed greatly to my sobriety—George Lahodney, Thad Gaillard, and Joe Mulqueen.
On a very personal note, I thank all of the members of my extended family for their encouragement and support, and Scott Murphy, Michael Murphy, Jack Conn, and Dr. Lonnie MacDonald. They all have an extra special place in my life.
Many other people, of course, have let me be me throughout the years and walked the journey with me. I thank them all.