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AcknowledgmentsAlthough writing a book is primarily a solitary endeavor, it is nevertheless true that many people make many kinds of contributions to the effort, and that without those contributions, most books, including this one, would not see the light of day. Once again, I have to thank my wife, Maria, who inexplicably agreed to sign on for another book. Considering the extra work and lonely hours that this entails, it's a considerable sacrifice, and one for which there are no words adequate to thank her. Several reviewers suffered through drafts at various stages in the writing cycle. Ronan McLaughlin, Thomas D. Nadeau, and Radia Perlman reviewed some early material from the proposal stage and offered much good advice. Radia Perlman also reviewed some of the earlier chapters. Peter Gutmann and Sandra Henry-Stocker read and reviewed the entire manuscript. Their advice and technical insights were a tremendous help to me in writing the book. Finally, Robin Snader was the first to read much of the material, and he provided valuable and detailed feedback that helped shape the form and content of the book. All these reviewers provided invaluable assistance and helped make the book much better than it otherwise would have been. I offer them my heartfelt thanks. No acknowledgments would be complete without mentioning the wonderful staff at Addison-Wesley. Mary Franz helped get the project started and championed the book to Addison-Wesley. My editor, Catherine Nolan, brought her prodigious editing and library science skills to bear and helped shaped the book into its final form. She also taught me a lot of things I didn't know about bibliographies; who knew there was so much to learn? Evelyn Pyle copyedited the book in astounding detail. Her careful checking of every cross reference and citation caught many errors, and left me wondering whether she knew more about the subject matter than I do. Linda Begley, whose sharp eyes would make an eagle weep with envy, proofread the final pages. My production editor, Tyrrell Albaugh, once again helped one of my books through the difficult birthing process. Her cheerful prodding to "do the right thing" helped make the book better in every way. In view of Rich Stevens' extraordinary TCP/IP Illustrated series [Stevens 1994, Wright and Stevens 1995, Stevens 1996], naming this book VPNs Illustrated might be considered an act of hubris, but my intent is merely to pay homage to Rich and his books. Those books are at once the benchmark and goal towards which I strive in my own writing. As always, I welcome readers' comments, suggestions, and corrections. Please feel free to email me at the address below. Tampa, Florida Jon C. Snader  |
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