acknowledgments

Writing this second edition was even more challenging than the first; I wouldn’t have achieved such a great book alone. I want to thank everyone who made this odyssey possible.

First and foremost, I want to thank my wife, Cinzia, and my daughter, Elisabetta. You have always supported me and encouraged me. I love you so much.

Next, I want to thank everyone at Manning Publications, starting with my editor, Mike Stephens; thank you for believing in the book’s first and second editions. To my development editor, Marina Michaels: thank you for your help, support, and feedback. Thanks also to my technical editor, Jeremy Glassenberg, for his invaluable feedback. And thank you to all the Manning production folks—production manager Aleksandar Dragosavljević, production editor Andy Marinkovich, graphics supervisor Azra Dedic, copyeditor Tiffany Taylor, proofreader Jason Everett, typesetter Dennis Dalinnik, and cover designer Marija Tudor—for their efforts in getting this book ready for publication.