ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Above all, I thank my family for giving me creative space. It took twice as long to write half of what I proposed, and for your patience I owe you immeasurably.

I’m indebted to Kyle Willmon and Aaron Bray, who taught me C++; to Tyler Ortman, who shepherded this book from a proposal; to Bill Pollock, who rehabilitated my expositive style; to Chris Cleveland, Patrick De Justo, Anne Marie Walker, Annie Choi, Meg Sneeringer, and Riley Hoffman, whose top-notch editing benefited this book enormously; and to the many early readers who transmuted raw chapters into inestimable feedback.

And finally I thank Jeff Lospinoso, who bequeathed to his wide-eyed, ten-year-old nephew the well-thumbed, coffee-stained Camel Book that ignited the spark.