acknowledgments

Writing a book is a significant undertaking, and I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my wife, Liza, for her patience and support throughout this process. Her unconditional love and constant encouragement have been absolutely essential.

I am incredibly grateful to Daniel Kleine, whose invaluable feedback on the in-progress chapters and code went above and beyond. With his keen eye for detail and insightful suggestions, Daniel’s contributions have undoubtedly made this book a smoother and more enjoyable reading experience.

I would also like to thank the wonderful staff at Manning Publications, including Michael Stephens, for the many productive discussions that helped shape the direction of this book, and Dustin Archibald, whose constructive feedback and guidance in adhering to the Manning guidelines have been crucial. I also appreciate your flexibility in accommodating the unique requirements of this unconventional from-scratch approach. A special thanks to Aleksandar Dragosavljević, Kari Lucke, and Mike Beady for their work on the professional layouts and to Susan Honeywell and her team for refining and polishing the graphics.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Robin Campbell and her outstanding marketing team for their invaluable support throughout the writing process.