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Frank Lloyd Wright has been quoted as saying, “Youth is a quality, not a matter of circumstances.” I more fully appreciate that quality after my son helped me with this book. At 14, Donald Johnson became a national chess master and has represented the United States in international games. At 16, he is an inspiring cyber expert in his own right, having already achieved certifications and written a commercially successful app to solve cryptographic challenges for a local healthcare company. I owe him an enormous debt of gratitude for sharing his experience beyond his years, offering constructive critique, fresh insights, and suggested edits through the long writing process. I am deeply touched by the gift of time we have shared together in completing this text.

I would also like to thank Melissa Duffy with Jones & Bartlett Learning for her relentless pursuit to accomplish this project through a most difficult set of pandemic challenges. Her professionalism and constant support will always be fondly remembered. I would like to once again express my personal gratitude to Carole Jelen with Waterside Productions, a wonderful and supportive literary agent who works so hard behind the scenes to make projects like this a success.

Rob Johnson