Two people planted the seeds for Navigating the Maze: Brad Fenwick of Elsevier and Christopher B. Davis of World Scientific. I owe them a debt of gratitude for suggesting the project. They provided the inspiration for the book, but there are many people who deserve recognition, two of them in particular who are no longer alive: D. Allan Bromley and Burton Richter.

Allan introduced me to the world of science and technology policy when I was a young faculty member at Yale University, and he was chairman of the Physics Department. Allan subsequently became President George H.W. Bush’s science advisor, and I became director of public affairs for the American Physical Society. We became close friends, and for more than two decades, collaborated on science policy and advocacy projects in Washington until his death in 2005.

I first met Burt in the 1970s when I was a young scientist carrying out high-energy physics research at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, now known as SLAC National Laboratory. Burt, a Physics Nobel Laureate, was director of SLAC from 1984 to 1999, and during that time he became a fixture in Washington science and technology policy circles. I benefited greatly from his knowledge, guidance, and insights during the many years we worked together. He was eagerly looking forward to reading this book, but unfortunately he passed away in 2018, shortly before the manuscript was complete.

Two other people deserve special mention—for enticing me to Washington and supporting my efforts. Harry Lustig, who had been provost at the City College of CUNY (CCNY) and had helped recruit me there from Yale, and became the treasurer and acting executive officer of the American Physical Society (APS) after he retired from academia. In the spring of 1994, he asked me to establish a science advocacy network in Washington, close to APS’s headquarters in suburban Maryland. Judy Franz, who assumed the executive officer’s post later that year, became a staunch supporter of my work, and for that I remain eternally grateful.

During my 22 years in Washington, I benefited from many thoughtful discussions and collaborations with myriad scientists and policy wonks inside and outside government. A number deserve special mention: Norman R. Augustine, former under-secretary of the Army, retired CEO of Lockheed-Martin, and the author of the book’s Foreword; Neal F. Lane, director of the National Science Foundation (NSF) from 1993 to 1998, and President Clinton’s science advisor from 1998 to 2001; Jack Gibbons, Lane’s predecessor, and previously director of the congressional Office of Technology Assessment; William E. Curry, who advised Bill Clinton on domestic policy in 1996 and 1997; Ernest Moniz, associate director for science at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) from 1995 to 1997, and Secretary of Energy from 2013 to 2017; Arthur Bienenstock and Duncan Moore, who both served as OSTP associate directors during the Clinton Administration from 1997 to 2000, Artie for science and Duncan for technology; John H. Marburger, President George W. Bush’s science advisor, with whom I had become acquainted during his years at the University of Southern California, SUNY Stony Brook and Brookhaven National Laboratory; William A. Jeffrey, director of the National Institute for Standards and Technology from 2005 to 2007; John Holdren, President Obama’s science advisor and OSTP director from 2009 until 2016; Philip Rubin, Principal Assistant Director for Science at OSTP from 2012 until 2015; Thomas Kalil, who served in the National Economic Council and OSTP in the Clinton and Obama Administrations; and Jeff Smith, who filled multiple roles at NSF and OSTP, and has been a wonderful, constant friend and confidant for more than two decades.

I also benefited from many fruitful discussions with members of Congress across the political spectrum, a small number with advanced science degrees—Representatives Vernon J. Ehlers, Bill Foster, and Rush Holt, Jr., all physicists; Jerry McNerney, a mathematician; and John Olver, a chemist—and others without such professional credentials, but with a passion for science and technology, and a commitment to developing sound public policy. They include Senators Jeff Bingaman, Christopher J. Dodd, Pete V. Domenici, Bill Frist, Phil Gramm, Joseph I. Lieberman, and John D. “Jay” Rockefeller, IV, and Representatives Sherwood “Sherry” Boehlert, Judy Biggert, George E. Brown, Jr., Rosa DeLauro, Anna Eshoo, Bart Gordon, Randy Hultgren, Nita Lowey, John Porter, Louise Slaughter, and Paul Tonko. Congressional staffers who provided special insight into the workings of the legislative machinery, along with sage policy advice, over many years include William Bonvillian, Dixon Butler, Kevin Carroll, Mike Champness, Leeland Cogliani, Kevin Cook, Tom Culligan, Paul Ducette, Tony Fainberg, Elizabeth Grossman, Louis Finkel, Alex Flint, David Goldston, G. William Hoagland, Olwen Huxley, Julia Jester, Chris King, Bill McBride, Bob Palmer, Elizabeth Prostic, Peter Rooney, Adam Rosenberg, Dahlia Sokolov, Robert Simon, Jim Turner, and Harlan Watson.

In addition to Capitol Hill denizens, a number of other people merit recognition: Mitch Ambrose, Kate Bannan, Stefano Bertuzzi, Robert Birgeneau, Robert S. Boege, Marc H. Brodsky, Joanne Padron Carney, Chris Carter, Paula Collins, Douglas Comer, John C. Crowley, James Dawson, Joseph Dehmer, Patricia Dehmer, H. Frederick Dylla, Robert Eisenstein, Ray Garant, Howard Garrison, Carolyn Trupp Gil, Irwin Goodwin, William Halperin, Mike Henry, Matt Hourihan, Richard Jones, Ronald L. Kelley, Franmarie Kennedy, Kathleen “Taffy” Kingscott, Kei Koizumi, Seema Kumar, Abe Lackman, Donald Q. Lamb, Audrey Leath, Alan J. Leshner, Kevin Marvel, William Novelli, John Palafoutas, Anthony Pignataro, Jennifer Poulakidas, Samuel Rankin, Brian Raymond, Liz Rogan, Robert Rosner, Deborah Rudolph, Glenn Ruskin, Bill Squadron, Tobin L. Smith, Albert H. Teich, Michael L. Telson, Barry Toiv, Michael Turner, Christopher Volpe, Michael S. Witherell, and Mary Woolley. I profited greatly from their insights during my two decades in Washington.

Throughout my tenure as director of public affairs of the American Physical Society, I received considerable assistance from APS staff, among them, Mark Elsesser, Don Engel, Amy Flatten, Allen Hu, Tawanda Johnson, Irving Lerch, Jodi Lieberman, Greg Mack, Brian Mosley, Steve Pierson, Jeanette Russo, Fred Schlachter, and Francis Slakey. I owe considerable thanks to several members of the APS leadership who provided guidance and support for my activities in the policy arena. They include the editors of APS News, Alan Chodos, and later, David Voss, who published more than one hundred of my “Inside the Beltway” columns; Martin Blume, the editor-in-chief of APS journals; and treasurer-publishers Thomas McIlrath, Joseph Serene, and Matthew Salter.

The editors of The Hill, Roll Call, the Brooks Community Newspapers (now Hearst Media), and the Westport Minuteman gave me the continuing opportunity to express my opinions. Walter Isaacson gave me the sage advice to tell stories rather than present facts. His prescription is largely responsible for the narrative format of the book. I thank all of them. I also thank Norm Augustine, Gerald Blazey, Neal Lane, Philip Rubin, and Jeff Smith for their careful reading of my manuscript. They caught errors, large and small, and provided invaluable commentary.

Additionally, I want to acknowledge the support of the City College of CUNY, which paid the tab while I was working on the book, and my editor at Elsevier, Mary Preap, who helped me understand the changing world of publishing and kept me focused on the project.

Finally, I want to thank my wife, Laura Appelman, who put up with my absence from daily life during the ten months it took me to write Navigating the Maze. Her forbearance and unwavering support were invaluable and unforgettable. I am forever in her debt.