Acknowledgments

While my name may be on the cover, publishing a book is definitely a team effort. The Sybex team has been incredibly patient, supportive, and immensely valuable during each phase. Deep thanks go to Agatha Kim, our acquisitions editor, for her polite but effective steps to keep the project on track; Randy Muller for his technical editing and helpful suggestions; Pete Gaughan, editorial manager, for his quick answers; and Eric Charbonneau, production editor, and Liz Welch, copy editor, both of whom ensure the book is polished to a high sheen. In particular, however, I’d like to acknowledge Stef Jones, our development editor. I worked hard to ensure my first drafts were clear and concise—I felt pretty good about them. When the first chapter reviews came back all “marked up,” I felt a bit like a high school freshman. But, after reading the detailed changes and suggestions, the improvements were obvious, and I knew we had someone special on our team. Thanks to her, what you are holding is not just a good book but a great one.

Of course, let me also thank Milan Gross, the book’s coauthor. I wasn’t ready to make the commitment to be the sole author, and I really enjoyed teaming up with you on this.

I’d like to also acknowledge Wen He and Chyan Yee Goh. Both were involved in content review, and it is genuinely appreciated. If you have any concerns with clarity, technical accuracy, or value, only Milan and I are to blame.

The SharePoint community is simply fantastic and unlike any other technical community out there. Many toil writing books or blogs, tweeting, speaking, running user groups, or providing answers on forums—not for money, but in the spirit of “sharing the point.” I learn so much from you and thank you for your contributions. You are my second family and some of my closest friends. ‘Til the next SharePint!

Lastly, and most importantly, let me thank my lovely wife Gigi for her support and understanding. Her sacrifices helped make this book a reality, and her love has made all my dreams come true.

—Randy Williams

When Randy invited me to join him in writing this book, I welcomed the offer with both excitement and trepidation. Having written for previous books, I knew how much effort goes into putting together a publication like this. Fortunately, the team at Sybex is the best I’ve ever worked with and was instrumental to the success of the book. I would like to thank Agatha Kim for her flexibility with deadlines as I worked to fit authoring into an otherwise packed schedule. I am also grateful to Stef Jones for her uncanny ability to edit a topic that is still unfamiliar to the world at large and suggest clarifications on even the most technical points. I also thank Liz Welch and Eric Charbonneau for their amazing job of bringing the text into better focus through their own editorial gifts; Randy Muller, for his technical insights; and the rest of the Sybex team without whom this book would not have happened.

I also need to thank my senior managers at Synergy, Chris Bayot and Ben Creamer, for their tireless dedication and efforts to keep all but the most critical matters from landing on my desk. I definitely would not have found the time for this book without them.

Finally, I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Randy Williams, for the opportunity to share in the writing of this book and for the countless thoughtful conversations we’ve shared over the years. I have never known a finer professional, or a better person.

—Milan Gross