Most readers usually skip the acknowledgments section, and many authors usually make this section very short. I really don’t want to judge anyone; I can only guess that authors think it might look kitsch if they exposed their emotions, or that doing so is awkward. Well, many people contributed their heart and soul to these books, and I don’t care how this section might seem. I’d like them to be recognized for their contribution!
My deepest gratitude goes to all those who took part or contributed in any way to the books. Some spent countless hours directly involved in the project, and some of them had an impact on me and my work that implicitly affected the books.
To the guest authors Lubor Kollar, Dejan Sarka, and Roger Wolter: thanks for taking part in this project and adding your invaluable insight. It’s been an honor and a pleasure to work with you. Lubor, your depth of knowledge and passion are a source of inspiration. Dejko, my good friend, I’m constantly learning new things from you. I find your views of the database world simply fascinating. Roger, I greatly appreciate the fact that you agreed to contribute to the books. Service Broker–your baby–brings an important dimension to SQL Server that was never there before. I’m sure that companies will find it extremely valuable, and I’m eager to see how the queuing technology will be implemented–it has such great potential.
To Steve Kass, the technical editor of the books: Steve, I have no words to describe how much I value your contribution. You’re simply brilliant and amazing, and one can only hope to have half the wit and logic that you were blessed with. Remind me never to end up in a battle of wits with you. You’ve spent so much time on the project and provided so many insightful suggestions that I feel you′ve practically helped author the books. I hope that in future editions of the books you will take an official authoring role.
To David Campbell and Lubor Kollar who wrote the forewords: your work and achievements are a guiding light to many of us. SQL Server has grown up to be a mature and fascinating product–one well worth dedicating our professional careers to and to focus our passion on. Thank you both for agreeing to write the forewords. This is truly an honor! To all contributors, I’m looking forward to doing many future projects together. I, for one, have already started cooking up ideas for future editions of the books.
Many thanks to the team at Microsoft Press: Ben Ryan, Kristine Haugseth, Roger LeBlanc, and probably numerous others who took part in the making of the books. Ben, I’m sorry to have been such a pain, and for wanting to be involved in every small detail that I could. Perfection and candor are my two guidelines, though one can only strive to achieve the former. I believe that by following this path, the end result can only improve, and regardless, I believe that there’s no other path. Thanks for being so attentive. Kristine, you are simply great! Devoted, professional, caring, and steering the project so elegantly. On a more personal level, I feel that I’ve earned a new friend. Roger, I don’t envy you for the countless hours you had to spend on editing the books. Thanks for helping to improve their quality. And I’m sure there were many others at Microsoft Press who worked long hours behind the scenes to allow the books to see the light of day.
I’d like to thank Kalen Delaney. Kalen’s previous Inside Microsoft SQL Server books were a bible to me with regard to SQL Server internals, and I’m eager to read her new coverage of SQL Server 2005’s internals in her new volumes. Kalen was also the one who initially asked me to write the T-SQL volumes now that the product has grown so large.
Many people provided extremely valuable feedback by unofficially reviewing the books. Among them members of the SQL Server development team, mentors from Solid Quality Learning, and MVPs. You didn’t have to do this, and you did this voluntarily, so my gratitude goes to you from the bottom of my heart.
To the team at SQL Server Magazine: you’re family to me. We’ve been working together for years and have grown and evolved together. I’m sure that I’m not the only one who believes that SQL Server Magazine is the world’s best magazine for SQL Server professionals. These books are in great part due to what I absorbed and learned while working with you.
To my friends, partners, and colleagues at Solid Quality Learning: this company is by far the best thing that happened to me in my professional career, and in many ways in my personal life. It’s simply a dream come true. With regard to the books, many of you contributed much to them through your reviews and through the work we’ve done together, which is naturally reflected in the books. But far beyond that, you’re family, friends, and more than anyone could wish for. I still need to pinch myself to make sure this is reality and not a dream. And to Fernando: all of us share the opinion that you’re the reason Solid Quality Learning came to life, and without you, it would not be. Your vision, patience, attentiveness, passion, and heart are an inspiration to us all. No words that I say or write can express the gratitude I have in my heart for you and how much I value your friendship.
I find that there are three key elements shaping a person’s knowledge and ability: teachers, students, and passion. Passion is the seed that must come from within oneself, and I have great passion for SQL. I’ve been blessed with great teachers–Lubor Kollar and Sensei Leon Pantanowitz (Yehuda). Lubor, your passion and deep knowledge of SQL and its optimization, your seeking of new knowledge, your humility, the spark in your eyes, and your fondness for logic are all a source of inspiration to me. I’m so grateful that we came to know each other, and I cherish our friendship. Sensei Yehuda, though your world may seem to you to have nothing to do with SQL, to me, it has everything to do with it. Your advice, teaching, guidance, and friendship helped me in the SQL world in more ways than you will know. You and Sensei Higaonna are sources of great inspiration to me; you’re living proof that nothing is impossible–that if we work diligently and constantly strive for perfection, we can improve and achieve great things in life. The focus on small details, never giving up, controlling excitement by thinking that "it’s just another day in the office," honesty, dealing with the ugly parts of life...these are just a few examples of advice that has helped me in many ways. Writing for endless hours was extremely hard, but I attribute the fact that I managed to do it largely to you. I always thought of the experience as a long GoJu training.
To my students: I learned and continue to learn much through teaching. In fact, teaching is my true passion, and you are the main reason that I wrote these books. In the last few years, I’ve been traveling around the globe teaching. I spent very little time at home, sacrificing a lot to pursue my passion. My true hope is that after reading these books, we will end up meeting in class–my favorite dojo for learning and practicing SQL.
To my parents: my only regret in doing so much traveling is that it came at the expense of not spending time with you. I remember a surrealistic moment where you sat in a session I delivered about partitioned tables and indexes in SQL Server 2005 to see me after we hadn’t seen each other for three months. I apologize and hope you understand that I need to pursue my passion to be fulfilled. Pa, thanks for all the help in mathematics and logic. Ma, stop yelling at father when he gives me a new puzzle over the phone in cross-Atlantic calls; he can’t help it, and I can’t either.
Lilach, my love and my anchor: the only thing that keeps me sane while I’m away from home is the fact that you’re with me. I think that the rest I will tell you in person; we don’t want to embarrass ourselves in front of the readers. ;-)