Most of all I would like to thank my loving wife Katja for her boundless love and support for everything I do. Without her understanding, patience, and positive encouragement this book would simply not have been possible. Thank you meine Suesse!

To my loving parents, who have given me the gift of seeing the world with a positive outlook that can make such a difference when the going gets tough; you are, and continue to be, an inspiration.

To my friend Gabriel Bezas, thank you for showing me the path so many years ago. Your friendship and advice has been invaluable.

To my colleagues over the years I would like to thank (in no particular order) Alfred Merk, Steve Terry, Hans Hochreiter, Karin Langner, Steffen Haigis, Arthur Marschall, Ralf Haeussler, Zoltan Levardy, and Ernst Schmidt. Each of you has contributed to the evolution of this book.

Finally, thanks to the team at Gieman IT Solutions; Adam, Ben, Di (3T logos and design), Jane (book illustrations), Tracy, and Reece. You gave me a reason to write this book.