It doesn’t take a village to write a book, but it certainly helps to live as part of a rich community of thinking friends whose presence has been a constant spur to thoughtfulness and discernment over many years. Among those I am especially aware of in writing this book are the following: John and Julia Anderson, Will and Debs Andrews, John and Donna Bechtel, Barry Black, Don and Carolyn Bonker, John and Nancy Brandon, Barbara Bryant, Nick and Annie Chance, Shelby and Mary Lee Coffey, Jenny Cromartie, Sarah Davis, Danielle DuRant, Bill and Barbara Edgar, Harry and Minerva Edwards, Caroline Firestone, Steve and Polly Friess, Troy and Angelique Griepp, Nabil and Peggy Haddad, Jamie and Andy Haith, Charles Haynes, Ann Holladay, Madeline Jackson, Peb and Sharon Jackson, Greg Jesson, Tim Keller, Dick and Mardi Keyes, Hooman Khalili, John and Sarah Kim, Bob and Diane Kramer, Phil and Moyne Lawson-Johnston, John and Sally Lennox, Joe Loconte, Stuart and Celia McAlpine, Jack and Kathy Macdonough, Dick and Mary Ohman, Frog and Amy Orr-Ewing, Dean and Linda Overman, Ryon and Jan Paton, Rich and Christine Park, Michael and Anne Ramsden, Erik and Kristen Rannala, Malcolm and Karis Riley, Mark and Leanne Rodgers, Skip and Barbara Ryan, Birgitte Santaella, David and Tina Segel, Tim and Rebecca Shah, Jim Sire, Tom and Lyn Shields, Bud and Jane Smith, Fred Smith, Ian and Rosemary Smith, Suzelle Smith, Tom Tarrants, Prue and Edwina Thompson, Caroline Trevor, Ralph and Lynne Veerman, David and Mary Virtue, Rick Warren, David and Jane Wells, Woody White, Bill and Dana Wichterman, Don and Patty Wolf, Frank and Carolyn Wolf, John and Susan Yates, Daniel Young, David and Suzy Young, Davy and Ashley Young, Glenn and Suzanne Youngkin, and Ravi and Margie Zacharias. A long list admittedly, but friendship owes its debts.
There are some people, however, without whom this book would never have come to life in the form it has, and I am especially grateful to the following: Mary Lee Coffey, Bill Edgar, Kurt Jaros, and Dick Ohman, whose initial reading and candid reviews of the book saved me from many blunders and strengthened my hand at the hardest stage of the writing, and Bud and Jane Smith, whose magnificent Dallas library was the inspiring setting for writing a key part of this book.
As always, I am deeply indebted to my friendly and tireless literary agent, Erik Wolgemuth, and to Jeff Crosby, Al Hsu, Drew Blankman, Alisse Wissman, Ellen Hsu, Elissa Schauer, and the incomparable team at InterVarsity Press.
And always and supremely, my beloved family, Jenny and CJ, and special thanks to Jenny, who in this case was brilliant in editing as well as unfailing in love.