I warmly thank everyone who has helped me along the epic journey of writing this book—especially Shaan, for sending me that fateful e-mail; my two loving parents, for being the most amazing and self-sacrificing parents in the world; my brother, Gabriel, for always being there for me at any hour of the day or night; and all of my friends, for never wavering in their encouragement of this sometimes-crazy endeavor.
I also extend my gratitude to all of the teachers who have inspired and encouraged me from the first days of kindergarten through my last days of high school. I consider the quality of my education one of the greatest and most valuable gifts in my life, one that was given selflessly by the incredible educators that I’ve had the pleasure to learn from. Thank you for sharing with me a love of learning that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.