Acknowledgments

Special thanks to my coauthor Lee! Lee gave 110% at times when I couldn’t make my 100%. Whew! It’s a finished product now. Thanks to our technical editor, Thomas Powell—great job! Thanks to Roger Stewart (a man of incredible patience), Ryan Willard, Joya Anthony, and all the other people involved in making this book who I didn’t get to know, but do know they are there.

Thanks to Neil Salkind and Studio B. Most important, thanks to all the web developers pushing the new technology envelope.

Readers, visit me at www.kenbluttman.com.

–Ken Bluttman

They say no man is an island, and it takes a village to raise a child. Extrapolating this, then, it certainly takes a platoon of people to write a book. The author gets the credit for the accomplishment, while behind the scenes, editors, testers, and designers toil away thanklessly.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who contributed to this book. First, I need to thank the excellent staff at McGraw-Hill. Roger Stewart invited me on board this project. His trust in my abilities enabled this project to be completed. Ryan Willard, while late to the project, did a fabulous job of coaxing the last pieces of work from my stubborn fingers. Lastly, Joya Anthony, while no longer with McGraw-Hill, supported my every request.

Outside of McGraw-Hill, I need to thank my technical editor, Thomas A. Powell, and his staff at Pint.com. I have been an educator my entire life, and Thomas a professional programmer. I did not always like what he had to say about my code, or how he said it, but he made my part of this book much better.

Ken Bluttman, the first author on the book, needs my thanks as well. Ken was doing an admirable job of writing the book when life intervened, and he had to step away. Ken, this is your book. I just helped you to finish it. Ken, I would love to work with you again.

I need to thank my students at Bradford School in Pittsburgh. Many of them checked my code, provided feedback, and even supplied a screenshot or two. While all of them remain in my heart, Dave Losket, Roti Midani, and Chris Alderson provided the most feedback and help with this project.

Finally, I need to thank you, the reader. Without your desire to better yourself, this book would never have happened. Please accept my most sincere gratitude for your purchase of this book. If I can help you with your understanding of the book, you can e-mail me at [email protected].

–Lee Cottrell