Preface

We came to iOS development from two different paths. Lou is a commercial software developer with a traditional CS background and degree, and Eitan has a mixed design and technology background and a career in academia. Lou is from NYC, and Eitan is from LA. We both decided to settle in a small town in Western Massachusetts, and although we live less than a mile from each other, we never met.

Troy Mott, a development editor at Manning, contacted Lou, an iOS developer and blogger, about Manning’s Hello series. The whimsical take on programming education and Troy’s persuasion convinced Lou that it would be a worthwhile project. After Lou got started, though, he became convinced he needed a coauthor, and he set out to find one.

Late last year, a chance mention of this coauthor search to a mutual friend led to an introduction to Eitan. An hour or so after sharing a coffee at a local cafe, we knew we wanted to write this book together.

So, a coauthor search that began over the web and with global reach via social networking ended the old-fashioned way—over brunch and face-to-face networking. And, in a time where virtual collaboration is the norm, we were lucky to be able to meet when we needed to.