Acknowledgments

I would like to thank all of the many talented and energetic professionals at Apress. I appreciate the understanding and patience of my managing editor, Michelle Lowman, coordinating editor, Jill Balzano, and development editor, Tom Welsh. Each was instrumental in the success of this project. I appreciate their encouragement and guidance. I would also like to thank the small army of publishing professionals at Apress for making me look so good in print. Thank you all very much!

I’d like to especially thank the technical reviewer and my colleague, Andrew, at Oracle for his patience, insight, and impressive attention to detail. Most importantly, I want to thank my wife, Annette, for her unending patience and understanding during the many hours I spent hunched over my laptop or conducting experiments on the dining table.