I would like to thank the following people, without whom this book would never have been possible:
My parents, Jennifer and Kevin, for all their love and patience and for all that they have taught me
My brothers Lee, Steven and Paul and sisters Claire, Maria, Natasha, Anna-Marie and Shelley, for their love and understanding
Rehan Qayoom—my best friend from my schooldays
Elfriede Corkhill—my favorite schoolteacher
Ian and Elaine Moore, Ian and Ana Williams and Olly and Ash Jeffery—my closest friends
Birutė Ziliene—the person I think of when I remember my time in Lithuania
Sigriður Kristinsdóttir—my Icelandic tutor
Suzy Seraphine-Kimel and Julien Chaumon—for all their help with the Optimnem.co.uk website
Martin, Steve, Toby, Dan and Nicola—the team behind the Brainman documentary
Karen Ammond, for showing me the power of enthusiasm
Andrew Lownie, my literary agent
Rowena Webb, Helen Coyle and Kerry Hood at Hodder for all their help and advice with the book
Bruce Nichols and the team at Free Press for their help with the U.S. edition
Finally my partner Neil, for being himself