A big thanks go to everyone at Little, Brown and Grand Central; it has been a true partnership working with you. Thanks to Tim Whiting for his faith in me, and for shaping my initial ramblings into something much more valuable. To Zoe Bohm and Sara Weiss, my editors in the UK and the US; patient to the last, I have loved working with both of you. To Kate Hibbert and Andy Hine, who have sold this book all over the world; and to Rick Wolff, who brought this book to North America. Thanks to Megan Gerrity, the production editor, and Angelina Krahn, the copy editor, you have localized the English and improved my writing. Finally, thanks to Julie Paulauski, for all your imagination and energy in publicizing the book.
Dad, thanks for that “walk around the sheepfold” that saved me from a gray life of numbers. And thanks to Mum for being my foundation, my safe place (and my source of the world’s best macaroni cheese). I couldn’t imagine better parents or a better childhood. Paddy, thanks for always being the first to ask, and for endlessly encouraging me. Barry, you’re an inspiration, a catalyst for me and so many others. Thanks for the endless support of Dulcie and me.
Martin, Pete, Fiona, Doug and Gerry: you’re all my favorites! (Pete, by the way, this is the only bit of the book you need to read.) I love you all and I’m hoping this book might create an alternative nickname for me other than Spud! Dame, thanks for the invite to that conference, which triggered all of this, but mostly thanks for being a good friend and co-conspirator. Shiv, thanks for being such a brilliant pain in the neck to keep me writing. Dom and Kate, thanks for allowing me to drink all your tea and write the first half of this book in your garden shed.
To my children: Jack, the brilliant questioner and engineer; you have the courage to walk your own path—you’re very special and I can learn a lot from you. Ben, my cheeky chappie who still skips down the street; your endless sense of fun always makes me smile. Seren, you’re such a princess, punching above your weight in this family—full of fire, full of ideas and full of cuddles. Together, the three of you make me more happy than any daddy could hope to be, and you fill my life with shafts of pure joy. Thanks for being patient with me and this book. I am hugely proud of all of you: no wonder my favorite number is three!
To Dulcie: You have carried, cajoled and motivated me through this project. Like all our schemes, this was a team effort; a yin and yang pairing of opposites bound by a common purpose. This book could not have happened without you—you have given up such a lot to allow me to do this, and you have taken on such a lot too. Not only that, your smart business guidance over the years has brought me to this place; it helped me to find my own career path. In thanks, I dedicate this book to you, my wife and best friend, my soul mate, my love and my life.