Acknowledgments

As always, it's the people closest to you that pay the price for your indiscretions. So I'd like to take this opportunity to thank my family for putting up with me while I struggled through this project. It was far more work than I ever expected, but what really surprised me was that there was a sense of impending doom hanging over me every day for almost a year. I joked that everything was measured in paragraphs. I could go out to dinner with my wife, or I could write another two paragraphs. (Actually, I couldn't write them that fast, but you know what I mean.) So again, I'd like to thank my wife Jill and my kids for putting up with the distant stares and the self imposed rain cloud hanging over all of our heads.

Kerry Osborne

I want to say thank you to my kids, Brandon and Charis, who endured the many long nights and weekends I spent at the kitchen table writing this book. They are such an inspiration to me. My daughter Charis, a truly gifted writer, is so creative and bold. My son Brandon, the brilliant scientist and strategic thinker of the family, never gives up. Watching them grow into young adults has taught me the value of creativity and perseverance, especially when the task seems insurmountable. I love you, kids.

To my parents, family, and friends, I'd like to say thank you for all your encouragement and support. You were always there for me when I needed you. I won't try to name everyone here, but you know who you are.

And finally, I'd like to say a special thanks to Kerry for inviting me on this journey with him. A few years ago, if you'd told me I was going to write a book someday, I'd have laughed out loud. But Kerry has a talent for nudging me out of my comfort zone. In addition to being a mentor, over the years he has become a trusted friend.

Randy Johnson

This is the first book I've co-authored, so this acknowledgment is going to be a thank-you note to anyone who has ever helped me with my career and supported my passion for solving problems with data, algorithms, and computers. If you have ever taught me, helped me, or given me advice— thank you! I'd like to give a special thanks to my parents, who strongly supported my interest in technology, electronics, and computers when I was a kid. Additionally, a big thanks to my wife Janika, who, despite not being a computer geek, understands that it's perfectly normal to sometimes stare at a computer screen for 24 hours in a row.

Tanel Pöder