Acknowledgments

Ben Rosenzweig: I would like to thank my coauthor Elena Rakhimov for being a wonderful and knowledgeable colleague to work with. I would also like to thank Douglas Scherer for giving me the opportunity to work on this book as well as for providing constant support and assistance through the entire writing process. I am indebted to the team at Prentice Hall, which includes Greg Doench, Michelle Housley, and especially Songlin Qiu for her detailed edits. Finally, I would like to thank the many friends and family, especially Edward Clarin and Edward Knopping, for helping me through the long process of putting the whole book together, which included many late nights and weekends.

Elena Rakhimov: My contribution to this book reflects the help and advice of many people. I am particularly indebted to my coauthor Ben Rosenzweig for making this project a rewarding and enjoyable experience. Many thanks to Greg Doench, Michelle Housley, and especially Songlin Qiu for her meticulous editing skills, and many others at Prentice Hall who diligently worked to bring this book to market. Thanks to Michael Rinomhota for his invaluable expertise in setting up the Oracle environment and Dan Hotka for his valuable comments and suggestions. Most importantly, to my family, whose excitement, enthusiasm, inspiration, and support encouraged me to work hard to the very end, and were exceeded only by their love.