I wish again to send a big thank-you to Dr. Jeff Edwards of the Business Expert Press (BEP), who has been a driving force behind this book.
Many thanks go to several former students of the University of Hawaii, who are now my colleagues. Special thanks to Jeffrey Pieper, my former MA student in the China–U.S. Relations Program, who went over details of my writings and to students from my econometrics classes, especially Roy Thompson, who read my first draft carefully and gave valuable comments on technical aspects of the book.
Thanks also go to Exeter team members for their help with editing and formatting of this book.
I also wish to recognize help, updated information, or comments from Drs. Philip Romero, Scott Isenberg, Sheri Dean, and Charlene Kronstedt. The support provided by these individuals in their respective roles has been crucial to the successful completion of this book.