I'd like to thank David Chappell, whose friendship and guidance made this book possible. David's openness about his own technical writing and interest in my writing led to this book. He also provided feedback on the organization of this book that was priceless.

My editor Stephane Thomas was unfailingly supportive, as were all the production staff at Addison-Wesley. Special thanks go to Elizabeth Collins for the detailed copyediting. Thank you all!

There are many reviewers whose contributions significantly improved the quality of writing and technical accuracy. Many thanks to Rob Weltman for reviewing the entire book from start to finish. Other reviewers include: Megan Conklin, Gabor Liptack, Jim Sermersheim, Ian Redfern, Jeff A. Dunkelberger, and Howard Lee Harkness.

Ross Wilper made several significant contributions to the Active Directory chapter through his technical expertise.

I'd like to thank two good friends, Brad Judy and Michael Snook, who both gave invaluable feedback throughout the book. Your honest comments and friendship mean a lot.

I'd also like to thank my father and mother. The discipline and positive attitude you instilled in me were invaluable in helping me finish this book.

Finally, to my high school English teacher Mrs. Perri, who endured my inane comments about how studying English lacked importance. You were ultimately right; I use English skills far more now than the math skills I so highly valued then. Thank you for your persistence, and all the difficult writing assignments.