Those That Wake (28 page)

They say that writing a book is solitary work. This may indeed be true, but I am here to tell you that
publishing
a book is, in every sense, a collaboration. Among the many people without whom this book would never have reached its current state, I am most deeply indebted to the following.

Jason Anthony, whose keen judgment and invaluable insight shaped the destiny of this book most directly, for the hour upon hour he spent hammering both story and author into shape. Will Lippincot, the most dashing man I have ever met or heard of, for his confident vision and wise command. Julia Richardson, for her faith, for her support and for getting the little stuff as well as the big stuff. Lyall Watson, whose book
Dark Nature: A Natural History of Evil
introduced me to the work of Richard Dawkins and ignited the first ideas that eventually became
Those That Wake.
Gina Gagliano, generous beyond words, for many years' worth of extraordinary competence distilled into some truly indispensable advice. Ian Rustin, for decades of amateur (and extremely astute) editing, who contributed to this book in ways he doesn't even know about and surely never expected. Marilynn Karp, the first person to ever believe in me and, incidentally, this book; whose hand set
Those That Wake
off on its odyssey. And to Maren, because everything good I do, or will
ever
do, begins and ends with her.