ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This book presents my core convictions on the subjects of preparation, success, and satisfaction. But it represents much more because it is also the product of friendships and partnerships that shaped and informed it.

I will never forget the many moments Greg Jordan and I shared—exhilaration after sharing a meal or a meeting with some of our subjects, intense meetings and e-mail exchanges, and a joy in words. Greg understood my passion for preparation and was unceasing in challenging me to articulate it in a manner that I hoped would inspire others.

Over the years, our team at the Shapiro Negotiations Institute helped construct the foundation of the preparation principles, and their input and research during the writing of this book helped make it far better. Mark Jankowski, Todd Lenhart, John Buelow, and Michael Blackstone gave us transforming suggestions. And our interns, Kate Maas, Cristina Maas, Ian Greenberg, and Jack Bisciotti were unstinting in their research assistance. Kim Talbott gave us an extra measure of devotion and help, and made this project better for her involvement.

The thirty-eight people who graciously allowed us to profile them became the backbone of this book. We left each meeting amazed at their talents and passion for proper preparation. They also risked our conveying their thoughts accurately and effectively, and I thank them for their trust as well as time.

Our readers challenged us to enliven the notion of preparation: Joann Davis, who not only gave her invaluable insights, but also shared the thoughts of her husband, Kenneth Davis, who helped create the title; Mike O’Pecko, who read each draft as if it were his own; Greg’s parents, Tom and Ginger Jordan, who demonstrated where their son got his writing genes.

Along the way, friends such as Michael Maas, Dennis Mannion, Jennifer Gately, my assistant, Gloria Dausch, and my son, David Shapiro, contributed significantly as well. And my thanks go to my agent, David Black, for always being there, and for his sage advice and support.

I appreciate being challenged to be better, and that’s what our editor, John Mahaney, did throughout this process. I may have thought we were finished at several points, but John’s insights and questions kept coming. He never ceased in his pursuit of a better work.

Finally, my ultimate editor/adviser is my wife, Kathryn Adams Shapiro. She writes better and sees more than I do, and uses those talents to help make me achieve my objectives. And I love her deeply as she helps me PREPARE for all that life brings.