This book was far more time-consuming and difficult to write than any of my previous four books, for the simple reason that it required tremendous research in order to back up the claims made within.

First off and as always, I’d like to thank my wife, Dana, and my two girls, Agnes and Maeve, for all the time I spent in my office working on this book, including on weekends. They will be the first to tell you that I’ve been coming home brain-fried for months and wanting nothing other than simple relaxation after many, many days of researching and writing.

On that same note, sitting in an office chair for greatly extended hours, even a great one like the one I’m in now, can make one’s back tight. For relief of back pain—permanent relief—I thank the late and great Dr. John Sarno, MD, for his groundbreaking work on the real causes and real solutions to back pain. If you suffer from back pain, to any degree, please check out his book Healing Back Pain: The Mind-Body Connection (Grand Central Publishing, 2001). I also thank my chiropractor and massage therapist, though I understand that their treatments have no impact on back pain but rather just feel good!

Special thanks goes out to Matt Holt and Shannon Vargo at John Wiley & Sons. I’ve only written business books in the past, and trying to sell a publisher on a book that covers brand-new territory, and away from what have been proven sellers for me, is no easy task. However, Matt and the editing team were very receptive, and once I was able to articulate the specific purpose of this book, they jumped on the opportunity to publish it. Thank you!

My physician, Dr. Anthony Lyssy, gets special thanks for giving me my life back after dealing with low thyroid and subsequently adrenal exhaustion. I also thank him for convincing me to give meditation another try after I’d given up on it, which has made a tremendous, positive improvement in my life. Thanks also to my ankle surgeon, Dr. Joseph Carr Vineyard, for installing that new ankle in early 2017 and literally giving me my life back!

Finally, my family, especially my parents, must get a lot of credit. Despite having to force me out of bed for years, they finally “get it” now. As much as I complain now about all the pressure to do well in school that I endured, my mom instilled a strong work ethic through that. And looking over my dad’s shoulder as a kid as he read Entrepreneur magazine allowed me to see the forest through the trees and come to realize that there are better and easier ways to make a great living than just a job. Thankfully the Internet Age has since spread that truth far and wide.

Last but not least, ironic as this may sound, I thank every boss I’ve had in years past who made me get up before dawn to be in the office by 7:30 or 8:00 a.m. You motivated me to create this book and save many others from the same hell!