Acknowledgments

First of all I want to thank my subjects who gave generously of their time and without whom this book would be nothing but a small pamphlet of unanswered questions. Additional thanks go to Joe Armstrong and Bernie Cosell, and their families, for giving me a place to stay in Stockholm and Virginia. Extra thanks also go to Peter Norvig and Jamie Zawinski who, in addition to taking their own turns speaking into my recorders, helped me get in touch with other folks who became my subjects.

As I traveled around the world conducting interviews several other families also welcomed me into their homes: thanks for their hospitality go to Dan Weinreb and Cheryl Moreau in Boston, to Gareth and Emma McCaughan in Cambridge, England, and to my own parents who provided a great base of operations in New York city. Christophe Rhodes helped me fill some free time between interviews with a tour of Cambridge University and he and Dave Fox rounded out the evening with dinner and a tour of Cantabrigian pubs.

Dan Weinreb, in addition to being my Boston host, has been my most diligent reviewer of all aspects of the the book since the days when I was still gathering names of potential subjects. Zach Beane, Luke Gorrie, Dave Walden and my mom also all read chapters and provided well-timed encouragement. Zach additionally—as is now traditional with my books—provided some words to go on the cover; this time the book's subtitle. Alan Kay made the excellent suggestion to include Dan Ingalls and L Peter Deutsch. Scott Fahlman gave me some useful background on Jamie Zawinski's early career and Dave Walden sent historical materials on Bolt Beranek and Newman to help me prepare for my interview with Bernie Cosell. To anyone I have forgotten, you still have my thanks and also my apologies.

Thanks to the folks at Apress, especially Gary Cornell who first suggested I do this book, John Vacca and Michael Banks for their suggestions, and my copy editor Candace English who fixed innumerable errors.

Finally, deepest thanks to my family, extended and nuclear. Both of my moms, biological and in-law, came on visits to watch the the kid and let me get some extra work done; my parents gave my wife and kid a place to escape for a week so I could make another big push. And most of all, thanks to the wife and kid themselves: Lily and Amelia, while I may occasionally need some time to myself to do the work, without you guys in my life, it wouldn't be worth doing. I love you.