I would like to dedicate this book to an old, old friend who is no longer with us. Carmen La Via was a young agent in Los Angeles when I arrived on the scene. We went through many manifestations of client/agent/friend. He moved to New York and he became my literary agent. We did a lot of work together, much of it really good. To show you how tough he was, at one point he had a “Do Not Resuscitate” sign posted on his door. He was given last rites and was given up for dead. But that tough little Italian guy floored us all when he came back to work. People want to put on his gravestone RIP. I think it should be DNR. I am waiting for him to visit with me in spirit.