Scanning the convoluted recesses of my mind to publically acknowledge the contributions of others to my work is a formidable task, particularly for someone afflicted with a dominant internal locus and entrenched control beliefs. However, this time, recognizing the immeasurable influence and gratuitous assistance of others who made this book possible is indeed automatic and effortless. The single-author narrative you are about to read was by no means created through the solo efforts of one person. Realistically, this work would be incomplete and rendered irrelevant without the pervasive inspiration, encouragement, and guidance of those individuals mentioned below.
First, the idea for this book was conceived by my students. I thank them for convincing me to write the book, and unbeknownst to them (or me), these same students subtly became my teacher. Their encouragement provided an exceptional opportunity for me to vastly enhance my own knowledge of motivational research. I am forever grateful to my academic parents, Gregory Schraw and Gale Sinatra, for their tutelage and wise advice that continues to influence me daily. Of course, without the motivational leaders profiled in the book, this effort might be considered mundane. The leaders’ contributions were extraordinary, not only for their stories, experience, and wisdom, but because of their inspiration. Each leader in their own unique way taught me that despite enormous physical or psychological obstacles, motivated action is within the grasp of anyone, at anytime.
Second, I am indebted to those individuals who provided constructive feedback to refine the book. Those named endured two years of incessant questions, proofreading, and editing.Sean O’Dell, Lisa Sabino,and Morgan McAfee should be immortalized for their informed suggestions, language mastery, and exceptional copy editing and grammatical skills, which clearly I lacked. I thank Neil Schatz, Glenn Hoffman, and Richard Feenstra for their unwavering support by indulging me and listening to my excessive ramblings, while trying to decide on the tone and content of the book. I applaud Gene Dooley and Denise Kay for knowing one-half of the world’s population and introducing me to several of the motivational leaders featured in the book. And of course, I appreciate the commendable Elsevier team of Nikki Levy, Barbara Makinster, Lisa Jones, and Cindy Minor, who were geographically distant, but highly efficient and effective in helping to polish, produce, and market the book.
Despite intrinsic motives, personal achievements are functionally meaningless without the support and recognition from friends and family. I was quite fortunate to have the unconditional love and encouragement of my entire family, most notably Eugene, Nancy, Rebecca, Robert, Glenn, Patti, and Caroline. I thank my University of Central Florida colleagues for providing me the unencumbered time to conceptualize the book. Finally, every day, I thank Karen Heller. She is a woman of keen wit, profound patience, and unvarying temperament. As my co-pilot in life, Karen is someone who makes the darkest moments bright by providing a voice of reason with thoughtful suggestions, despite enduring my daily lunch-time diatribes. If given a nickel for every comment, suggestion, and countless chapter she reviewed Karen could retire a very wealthy woman. Her gift to me as a motivational model is immense and her unwavering love has, and will continue to be, why I consider myself to be a very affluent man.