Jerome Henry:
In many ways, this century (and probably the previous ones) resembles Wi-Fi. Every few years, new developments fundamentally change the way we work and communicate. Each time we look back a few years, we realize that today we have more information to absorb and more new technologies to understand. What was concluded as impossible is now experimented with or achieved sooner and faster than we thought. As you open this book, dear reader, to prepare for the CCNP exam, you know that this step may look steep today, but it will soon be just a memory of a time you knew less and could do less. Your will to excel and deepen your knowledge is what you, dear reader, give to us, the authors, as a reason to continue sharpening our expertise and share what we have learned on the way. So this book is for you, dear reader, and your aspiration to excellence. As my family blazon says, “sic itur ad astro”—this is how you reach for the stars!
Robert Barton:
When you come to the end of a long book project, it’s an interesting experience to step back and reflect on your memories of the many hours spent over weekends, evenings, and holidays to accomplish a work such as this. For me, my enduring memory will be a connection to the early days of the coronavirus stay-at-home period, trying to balance all the unexpected new demands of life with finishing a book. During this time of change we found ways to support each other—physically, emotionally, and spiritually. For this, I dedicate our book to the three most important people in my life—my beautiful wife, Loretta, and my two boys, Adrian and Matthew.
David Hucaby:
As always, my work is dedicated to my wife and my daughters, for their love and support, and to God, who has blessed me with opportunities to learn, write, and work with so many friends—abundant life indeed!