ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I'd like to thank my publisher, editor, and friend Gary Cornell for making this book possible. The staff at Apress has always been helpful and gracious. Apress is a rare computer book publisher devoted to putting the author first, and I'm thrilled to have them as a publisher.

Even before the book, there was a website, and the website would not have happened without the inspiration, free hosting, and publicity provided by Dave Winer of UserLand Software. I also owe a debt of gratitude to Philip Greenspun, who taught me that if you know something, you need to publish it on the Web for others to learn from. And to Noah Tratt, for the inspiration that came when he told me off-the-cuff one day that I should write down some of my rants.

I'd like to thank my colleagues on the Microsoft Excel team who, at the beginning of my career, taught me how to develop commercial software.

Over the years, millions of people have visited the website, and about 10,000 of them took the time to send me a nice email. These messages of encouragement are the only reason I kept writing for all these years, and though space does not permit listing you all by name, I greatly appreciate these notes.