The author hereby expresses his profound gratitude to Mr. Barry Sullivan, M. Arch (Environmental), for his constant encouragement and support, without which this book would not have been written.
Sincere appreciation is also accorded to Dr. Thomas Bickl, PhD, for his encouragement, his constructive input, and his guidance for the revision and editing of portions of the technology chapters of the book.
The author is also indebted to Dr. Supot Tejavibulya, PhD, for his constant encouragement and suggestions during the research and preparation of the manuscript.
The author also wishes to thank Dan Crissman for his superb guidance during the editing process and for his excellent suggestions as to the content and structure of the book.
The author also expresses his gratitude to Steven Harris (literary agent) for his astute guidance and support during the development of the manuscript and the selection of an excellent publisher.
Last but not least, the author hereby expresses his sincere appreciation to Alex Stutt for his invaluable and knowledgeable assistance in taking most of the photographs used in this book and for his preparation of color schematics and drawings to complement the manuscript.