Acknowledgments

A work of this magnitude is never the ramblings of a single author, but a successful combination of dedication from a team of highly skilled professionals. I would like to personally thank several people who helped make this book possible.

Jane Brownlow, Executive Editor, helped kick off the book and got it started on the right path. Megg Morin, Acquisitions Editor, took the reins from Jane and led the rest of the way. Joya Anthony, Acquisitions Coordinator, helped keep the flow of chapters moving. Madhu Bhardwaj, Project Manager, and Patty Mon, Editorial Supervisor, helped coordinate copy edits and final layout. I would really like to thank you all for your patience and assistance. There are many more people at McGraw-Hill who helped put this book together, and I am appreciative of their contributions and professionalism.

Roy Ogborn was the technical editor for this book. I’ve known Roy for several years and was delighted when he agreed to tech edit the book. Besides catching many of my errors, Roy provided valuable insight that made a difference in several areas, continuously asking the question of whether a beginner would understand a concept, what is the proper application of the language to accomplish a goal, and perspective on what parts of a technology needed emphasis. Thanks to Roy for outstanding technical editing and advice.