I had little appreciation for the amount of work, the extent of the commitment, or the demands of faith that would be required to complete this book when I first submitted a proposal to Sun Press on the topic of distributed computing. At the time, in the fall of 2000, the world seemed to me far different than it does today, as I'm sure is the case for much of America if not humanity. Since then, world events and the unfolding of circumstances in my own life have forced a personal reevaluation of so many notions I may have held dear at the time. But some things have remained constant, not the least of which is my gratitude to those who have influenced and contributed to this work.

My decade (1994–2003) working for Sun Microsystems was rewarding in so many ways. The opportunity to serve and learn at the feet of such giants as Bill Joy and James Gosling allowed me to grow in ways I can only appreciate in retrospect. Now that I have left and passed through a period of separation anxiety, I have had time to reflect on that period and my gratitude for that time has only grown. Conversations with James were especially influential in preparation of this book.

I am also appreciative of my evangelism cohorts at Sun: Bill, Rags, Rima, Reggie, Renita, John, Matt, Sang, Doris, Peter, Carol, Sridhar, Srikanth, Jason, Doug, Gary, and Saloni . . . keen minds, committed souls, and elegant engineers all. And, of course, the profound influence that is Jim Waldo cannot be understated. Simon Ritter deserves special mention for his heroic effort reviewing an early copy of this work. Technology evangelism is as much an engineering discipline as it is a faith-based calling, and my respect for those who are called as such is prodigious. My thanks also extend to Greg Doench of Prentice Hall, for going the distance when, at times, the journey seemed impossible. Thanks too to Jamie at G&S Typesetters and to Mary Lou for exercising prudence and sound judgment in the final preparation of this text.

My gratitude extends to other writers who have influenced me in the preparation of this work: Ray Kurzweil, David Gelernter, James Gleick, and Stuart Kauffman are all near the top of my list. But most especially to my wife, Elizabeth Harwell Goff, whose own experience and accomplishments as an author grounded me when I needed it, encouraged me when I wanted it, and had faith in me when I doubted it. In an age of uncertainty, I have no doubt that I could not have completed this without her.