Acknowledgments

One night, more than a year ago, I dispatched an email to O'Reilly with an idea for a book. At that time, the likelihood that this casual email would eventually give rise to a published book seemed very remote. After numerous emailed "back and forths" between me and a couple of O'Reilly Java editors, and then several months of gentle nudging, solid editing, occasional reconceptualizations, and (of course) writing, writing, and more writing, the seed of the book idea germinated and reached fruition. Voilá, a cookbook is born!

The shaping of a book is always a collaboration among several people. This book probably would not have left the launching pad without my editor Brett McLaughlin's succinct and continuous reminders about what differentiates a cookbook from other book types. Brett is also a fine "word by word" copy editor, and having an editorial background myself, I appreciated his efforts from the writer's side. Also, Brett's knowledge of Java is deep, and his comments helped me avoid some awkward code design decisions.

I am very fortunate to have Jason Hunter and Sang Shin as technical editors. They are both well-known Java experts, and this is a much better book since they have read and commented on large chunks of it. Their review had a really short deadline, and this is a big book. I was amazed at the comprehensive coverage with such a short turnaround. As a technical writer, I am indebted to those who rescue me from embarrassing mistakes!

Some of us save our family members for last in acknowledging those who help us. Maybe that is because the last paragraph is the foundation on which the rest of the language sits, just as the family is every writer's foundation, giving them support and shielding them from distractions as they immerse themselves in prose and technology. This book would not have been created without the help from my wife Stacy, daughter Rachel, and even Scott, who inspires me from the tender vantage point of being less than one year old. I'll also repeat what I said in my AppleScript book; I thank my parents Robert and Anne Perry for installing in me a love of writing and books.