Acknowledgments

I just wrote a book about getting people to help you. And if you had any doubts about whether or not I am qualified to write that book, let me put those fears to rest right now. Because I have had a lot of help—so it stands to reason I know something about getting it, right?

For starters, I am, as always, grateful to my mother, Sigrid Grant, who has been my strongest supporter and most valuable adviser. She helps me with everything—and I mean everything—without me ever even having to ask. She’s that good.

Speaking of being that good, thank you to my extraordinary editor-pretty-much-coauthor Sarah Green Carmichael. To say that she saved this book—and my sanity—is not even a tiny exaggeration. Her insights and guidance are everywhere, on every page. If you liked this book and found it useful, you have Sarah to thank for it.

I’m also grateful to the amazingly patient and encouraging Tim Sullivan, editorial director of the Harvard Business Review Press, who helped me shape the idea for the book and then waited without ever complaining even once for me to get around to writing the damn thing.

While I’m at it, a big thanks to everyone at HBR who has worked on this book and the ones before it.

This book, and every book I’ve ever written, owes the ultimate debt to my friend and rock star literary agent Giles Anderson. He is particularly gifted when it comes to telling which of my ideas are good and which are stinkers. He’s batting 1000 so far. For making my career as an author possible, Giles, I thank you.

To my friends and colleagues who helped me shape the ideas in this book, who clued me into great research and stories, and pointed out all the things I might have missed, I thank: Drake Baer, Vanessa Bohns, Jay Dixit, Adam Grant (seriously, no relation), Tory Higgins, David Rock, Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg, Tessa V. West, and Jay Van Bavel.

And on a personal note thank you, Joseph Francis, for always being the friend I need, in all the ways I need you to be. Somehow, you turned one of the hardest times in my life into one of the happiest ones.

Finally, I am grateful for my two children, Annika and Max. They didn’t really help with the book, I’ll be honest. But they make my life awesome.