Thanks to Karen Offermann, who recommended me for this project and who years ago gave me my first shot in the tech industry following a spirited discussion about modem standards.

I also want to thank all the folks at Apress for their guidance and support throughout the project.

Last but not least, thank you to my wonderful wife Andrea, for all her encouragement and for sharing my interest in technology.

—Joseph Moran

I feel almost guilty saying that I wrote half of this book by myself. I could never have done this without the experiences I gained working over the years with several different Windows writing teams at Microsoft. Several managers and leads stand out, who made the work fun, challenging, and rewarding: Kat Cordell, Bob Lee, Sarah Norton, among others. I also want to thank Bret Muzzey and Dan Simpson, for planting the idea of putting what I know into a computer book. Once this idea was planted, several friends provided key encouragement to pursue this dream and opportunity. Nancy Raiken, Debbie Frederickson, Karen Weber, Katharine Enos, Diane Stielstra, and Colleen Dunham—your support has been priceless.

All those experiences and knowledge would all be for naught if I hadn't hooked up with the wonderful team at Apress, who turned this into a book. I really appreciate the professionalism and patience of all of the editing staff we worked with on this book: Steve Anglin, Matthew Moodie, Kelly Moritz, Sharon Wilkey, and Kim Wimpsett. They make us look so good. Thanks too to Pete Membrey, for his thorough and essential technical reviews.

I want to thank my coauthor, Joe Moran, for bringing me into this book, and for enabling me to write about some really fun stuff.

Last, but most of all, thank you to my best friend, my wife Lori, for your unfaltering support every day, every year, in every way.

—Kevin Otnes