I would like to give my sincere thanks to my friends and colleagues who took time out of their busy schedules to read some early drafts of this book. Their feedback and specific suggestions were truly helpful in shaping the book’s final version. Those seven readers are Beth Argy, Lena Goldberg, Theresa Hamacher, Jeremy Kagan, Peter Kaufman, Lauren Pyle, and Rich Weitzel. James Levine not only was a helpful reader of drafts but also did an excellent job as my literary agent.
I want to give special thanks to Kathy Holub, who helped edit the book. Through her efforts, the book is shorter, better organized, and more fun to read.
I would also like to thank the following people for reviewing a late-stage draft of the manuscript: Sara Petras, Rachel Branwen, Kathleen Miskiewicz, Maureen Leary-Jago, and Mary Ellen Hammond.
I want to express my special appreciation to MFS Investment Management, and especially Courtney Mahoney, for providing me with excellent administrative support for the book.
Finally, and most important, I am very grateful to Lucas Goodman, my brilliant research assistant. Lucas did a great job in researching a diverse array of topics, writing initial drafts of many sidebars, and integrating my many revisions into the manuscript. And he did all this quickly with great dedication and diplomacy—a wonderful example of personal productivity.