This book is the result of the collective effort of many people. We’d like to start with thanking Kim Spilker and Devon Musgrave of Microsoft Press, who initially approached us about updating the previous version of the book and provided invaluable assistance in getting this project off the ground.

Second, we’d like to thank Neil Salkind from Studio B, our agent, who did an outstanding job resolving contractual issues, making organizational arrangements, and providing great advice at the key points in the project that helped us to make this book a reality.

Next, we would like to thank our contributing authors, Mirjam van Olst, Nikander and Margriet Bruggeman, Kay McClure, and Brett Lonsdale, who stepped in to help us meet the publishing deadlines and whose knowledge and experience significantly added to this book.

At Microsoft Press, Rosemary Caperton, our project editor, oversaw the project with patience and professionalism that ensured that the book was published on time, while always providing us with graceful assistance, for which we are entirely thankful.

We are also grateful to Linda Allen and her team at Custom Editorial Productions, Susan McClung, our copy editor, and Todd Meister, our technical editor, for their professionalism, good humor, and positive attitude to resolving each and every challenge that this project might have presented to them.

Last, but by no means least, we would like to thank our respective husbands, Gregory and Peter, for their boundless support and encouragement, as well as for bearing with us while we worked on this book in the evenings and over the weekends.

Sincerely,

Olga Londer and Penelope Coventry