There are two great pleasures in putting together a book such as this. One is the writing of the thing. The other is the opportunity to travel around the world and meet some truly exceptional individuals. Prime among them is, of course, Shuji Nakamura himself. I want to begin by thanking Shuji for agreeing to cooperate with this project, for his willingness to submit to my interviews and questions, both in person and via e-mail.

Shuji's colleague at UCSB Steve DenBaars was kind enough to write a letter in support of my proposal, as were Kevin Dowling, strategy and technology supremo at Color Kinetics, and Jo Ann McDonald, esteemed editor of Compound Semiconductors Online. Both Kevin and Jo Ann provided support in other ways, too. In addition to her lavish hospitality at the Legacy Ranch, Jo Ann introduced me to two key resources, Bob Karlicek and Warren Weeks, both of whom were kind enough to guide me through the finer points of the black art of crystal growth.

In my work on the history and technology of LEDs, gallium nitride devices in particular, I count myself extraordinarily fortunate in having been able to draw upon the wealth of experience that, after almost forty years in the field, Herb Maruska has accumulated. In addition to giving me personal tutorials on various aspects of light emitting devices, Herb also did me the honor of reading through first drafts of many of my chapters. Through the lonely months of writing, it was comforting to have such a good friend to rely on. Needless to say, all errors are attributable to my insufficient understanding of the subject.

If Herb knows pretty much everything there is to be known about the technology of LEDs, Bob Steele knows pretty much everything about the markets for solid-state lighting. Bob was generosity itself, and I am most grateful to him for his time.

Another of Jo Ann's friends, Robert Walker, kindly served as my guide to recent LED-related developments in China and Taiwan. Portions of chapter 15 first appeared as an article in Forbes Asia, and I am grateful for permission to reproduce them here.

Tim Whitaker, editor of LEDs Magazine, and his counterpart at CompoundSemiconductor.net, Michael Hatcher, are doing a magnificent job in chronicling the solid-state revolution in lighting. I have drawn much from their coverage for which I am beholden to them.

Many thanks also to my agent, Mike Hamilburg, for his conviction that my proposal was worthwhile, and for his perseverance in finding a home for it.

In addition, to Jesi Vasquez, administrative assistant extraordinaire in the Materials Department at UCSB, for being simultaneously so efficient and such a delight to deal with.

Thanks also to Joe Gramlich, for his thorough and meticulous copyediting.

Above all, I want to thank my mentor and friend Victor McElheny. Over many years Vic has provided unstinting advice, support, and encouragement, in this and my previous projects. I dedicate this book to him, with my deepest gratitude.

Melbourne, June 30, 2006