First, I want to thank my creative partner and publishing advisor Ellen Daly (who also happens to be my wife) for her extraordinary commitment to this project, from proposal to publication, which truly made everything possible. I want to extend my gratitude to my agent, Natasha Kern, whose clearheaded advice and encouragement was invaluable through the ups and downs of the publishing process, and to my masterful editor at Harper Perennial, Peter Hubbard, for believing in this project and recognizing that somewhere in between straight science and popular spirituality are serious messages worthy of attention.
This book would never have come into being without the stimulating, challenging, creative vortex that I have shared with my close friends and colleagues at EnlightenNext, helping to nurture the ideas at the heart of an evolutionary worldview. I’m also grateful for the time and space they generously gave me—and the extra work they shouldered—to allow me to focus on this project. I want to express my appreciation for all of the Evolutionaries who so graciously shared their inspiring thoughts, stories, and visions with me in the research for this book. It is also important to acknowledge that the title of this book was a product of the remarkable foresight and branding wizardry of Kevin Clark, who (along with a number of others) independently coined the term “Evolutionaries” and introduced me to it. Another note of gratitude goes out to Patrick Bryson, whose creative input and advice was critical in arriving at a satisfying cover design. There were also many individuals who graciously donated their time and energy to review the manuscript and provide feedback—including Elizabeth Debold, Steve McIntosh, Connie Barlow, Tom Huston, Ross Robertson, and Michael Dowd. The generosity of Melissa Hoffman was important to this book, and I’m appreciative of the secluded writing space she provided at critical junctures along the way.
Finally, I want to thank two formative influences on my life and work. First, my mother, Mona Phipps, and my late father, Kent Phipps, who always encouraged me to think seriously about the most important questions of life and graciously gave me the space to pursue those questions, even down unconventional paths. And second, my spiritual teacher and mentor, Andrew Cohen, for his constant support and enthusiasm, and for sparking an evolutionary fire in this heart that has only burned brighter over the many years of our work and friendship.