Beyond Java - Bruce Tate [2]
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Acknowledgments
This book challenged me more than any other book I've written. I felt that I needed to bolster my opinions with those of other respected programmers and consultants. I asked for many opinions, and published some of the responses. Thanks to Mike Clark, Matt Raible, Andrew Hunt, Ramnivas Laddad, Brett McLaughlin, and Eitan Suez for answering my questions. Thanks especially to Glenn Vanderburg, Ted Neward, Erik Hatcher, Justin Gehtland, James Duncan Davidson, Jim Weirich, Jamis Buck, David Heinemeier Hansson, Dion Almaer, Jason Hunter, Richard Monson-Haefel, Stuart Halloway, and Dennis Sosnoski for agreeing to let me post your interviews in the book. Thanks again to Justin Gehtland for use of your metrics, and being a partner through two writing projects.
Special thanks go to David Heinemeier Hansson for access to your framework and community from the inside. When I needed reviewers, you used your influence to find them for me. When I had hard questions, you answered them. You also provide the irresistible force that is Ruby on Rails. I'm grateful. I hope this book marks only the beginning of a partnership, and a possible friendship.
Dave Thomas, you have given me the courage and faith to explore things beyond Java. You've been a role model for me. Your consistent honor and class teach me; your skill with your keyboard and your voice inspire me; your business sense instructs me. Avi Bryant, thanks for your tireless work and promotion on the Seaside framework.
Special thanks also go out to Michael Loukides. Supporting me is your job, but I also feel a special kinship. We've been through a lot together, and I aim for that relationship to continue. You've been very good for me and my writing career. I hope you've benefited in some small way, too.
After letting my readers down by publishing Spring, A Developer's Notebook before it was ready, I feel the need to offer some thanks for helping me through the negative press. O'Reilly, you were great to stand behind me. I felt that I needed to have this book reviewed exhaustively, to prevent the same mistake from happening twice. Many answered the call. Ted Neward, Venkat Subramaniam, Michael Koziarski, Jeremy Kemper, Michael Loukides (who gave me advice and ideas far beyond the usual editorial support), and many others too numerous to list here provided good reviews.
Invariably, some reviewers take on a book as a personal mission. Usually, a book is lucky to have one such reviewer. This time, I had four. Steve Yegge, Jason Hunter, David Rupp, and Curt Hibbs all went far beyond the call of duty. They provided help that was stylistic, philosophical, technical, and even structural. This book is radically different from my initial vision. Thanks to all who contributed.
To Jay Zimmerman and all of those I've met at NoFluffJustStuff, this book is as much yours as it is mine. You've helped me shape and sharpen these ideas, and you've given me a platform to present them.
Most of all, I've got to recognize the contributions of one special lady in my life. She propped me up when I was too low to write, she talked through many of the ideas, she sat through many boring dinners as I talked through this stuff with anyone who would listen. Her smile fills my soul with the passion that I need for writing, and gives me a reason to be. We share a common purpose in raising our daughters, Kayla and Julia, a common foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, an unending hospitality for weary colleagues on the road, and a sense of adventure in life. Without you, I'm nothing. With you, I