Acknowledgments

To say that I now have an appreciation for the amount of work that goes into writing a book is an understatement. People like Pierre Berton who can crank out enjoyable book after enjoyable book are a wonder, especially when they can still cling to a normal life that features a job, family, friends, and hobbies. I have a great job and work with fun and smart people and, it goes without saying, I treasure my family above all else, so I guess I neglected hobbies and keeping in touch with friends, so I am looking forward to getting back to a more normal lifestyle.

I couldn't have written this book without the support and patience of my wife, Claudia Morawetz, and my two kids, Andrea and Heidi. Their willingness to give me a few hours on weeknights and many weekends to work on this book are what made this project feasible. Special thanks are also due to Jim Highsmith. I had the pleasure to work with Jim intermittently through the last few years, and in many ways I credit Jim with the inspiration to write this book. Jim always provided timely and useful feedback and insights, and he was particularly good at helping me see the positive side of some of the negative reviews received as the book took shape.

There were many reviewers who contributed to this book. I've appreciated all the feedback, whether positive or negative. Kevin Picott, Tom Poppendieck, and Jim Markham in particular spent a great deal of time providing me with detailed, constructive input that was instrumental in clarifying the text and its presentation. Paul Petralia, the editor of this book, helped guide me through all the usual first-time author misunderstandings and problems, and Michelle Vincenti kept everything moving.

I'd also like to thank all my co-workers past and present. I've learned something from each of you. The NetWare connectivity team applied the principles of sustainable development which led to my rapid acceptance of agile development: Richard Sniderman, Martin Wolf, Larry Philps, Tom Kelly, Andrzej Szyszkowski, and Sam Vuong. Today, I'm still learning at Alias Systems and I'd like to thank David Wexler for giving me permission and support to write this book, and Peter Mehlstaeubler for sponsoring the introduction of agile development at Alias. I'd especially like to thank all the people who became actively involved as leaders in our change to an agile way of working: Mark Davies (who took the first plunge with his team), Milan Sreckovic, Kevin Picott, Ania Lipka, Lisa Fung, John Gross, Gerry Hawkins, Lynn Miller, Tom Wujec, John Schrag, Jey Michael, Theresa Edwards, Steven Watanabe, Ian Ameline, Thomas White, Paul Tokarchuk, Martin Watt, Chris Gailey, Moira Minoughan, Brian Kramer, Cory Mogk, Jim Craighead, Paul Breslin, Thomas Heermann, Al Lopez, Larry Philps, Christina Elder, Jerome Maillot, and many others.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers who have influenced and inspired me. In high school, Mr. Ens (math) taught me what mental discipline was and Mr. Haight (history) was probably the best all-around teacher I've ever had. In university, Herb Yang, Jean-Paul Tremblay, and my thesis supervisor, Ze-Nian Li, were all influential.

I am glad this project is over and I promise my family and friends to not take on another big projectat least for a while!