Acknowledgments

I couldn't have written this book without the help of many talented and creative people.

I would like to thank Neil Edde, associate publisher, and Maureen Adams, acquisitions editor, for recognizing the need for an introductory Oracle DBA text. Many thanks to production editor Susan Berge and copyeditor Linda Recktenwald for their valuable advice. Thanks also to technical editor Betty MacEwen for her attention to detail and helpful suggestions throughout the book.

The nature of this book required a great deal of artwork. Jeff Wilson and the rest of Happenstance Type-O-Rama did an excellent job of creating artwork that was appropriate for the book. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and their art is an essential part of this book. Somehow they were able to decipher my Microsoft Word cave drawings and turn them into real graphics.

Many of my professional colleagues at both Lands' End and Greenbrier & Russel were a source of both inspiration and guidance. Also, regards to my long-lost friend from fourth grade, Janice, who I'm sure is a DBA out there somewhere.

Finally, I want to thank my family for all of their support and patience. I was still able to give the kids a bath, play some cards, and read books at bedtime, even with the short deadlines. The journey wouldn't have been half the fun without them.