Acknowledgments

Writing a book is much like raising a child. There’s the joy when things go well, the trepidation and worry when things are faltering, the exhaustion of long days and nights, and an overwhelming sense of satisfaction in having accomplished what once seemed impossible. And like a child, it takes nothing less than a small village to succeed. I couldn’t have written this book without my village of supporters, who knowingly or unknowingly guide, encourage, and inspire me every day.

My deepest gratitude to my colleagues, past and present, with whom I have spent countless hours working and collaborating, and learning from, throughout the years, in particular: Yoshua Idar, Adina Hagege, Nathan Bigman, Rayne Wiselman, Vladimir Holostov, Debi Parush, Sara Tzadok, Michelle Friedman, Claire Brosh, Eilon Reshef, and Yonatan Zamir (along with the rest of my Microsoft, LaHit, and Webcollage teams).

Thank you to my reviewers—Rayne Wiselman, Mark Magee, and Sharon Ainspan—for their timely and thoughtful input; to David Farbey, Saul Carliner, Sharon Ainspan, and Yossi Avnon for the materials they provided; and to the wonderful people from Elsevier—Rachel Roumeliotis, Heather Sherer, and Meg Dunkerly—for getting me through the process.

Thank you to my dear friends—Ellen Cohen for getting me into the book-writing business to begin with, and Rayne Wiselman whose insightful feedback and practical advice have guided me in so many ways. And thank you to my everlasting friends on both continents for their love and encouragement throughout the years.

Special thanks and acknowledgments to my wonderful family—my four Lior men—Omri, Ariel, Yarden, and Gilad—my parents Albert and Shirley Newman, Elisa Newman White, Rozzi Newman Osterman, Haya Ben-Yacov, and the rest of the Lior/Newman/Lample family for their never-ending support and love.