Thanks

One of the most wonderful things about academic life is that we get to pick our collaborators for each project. This is one area where I pride myself on making the best choices anyone can make. Over the years I’ve had the great fortune to work with some amazing researchers/friends. I am deeply grateful to these wonderful people for their enthusiasm and fortitude, their creativity, and also their friendship and generosity. The research I include in this book is largely a product of their efforts (see the following biographies of my outstanding collaborators), while any mistakes and omissions are mine.

In addition to my direct gratitude to my collaborators, I also thank the broader pool of psychology, economics, business school researchers, and social scientists at large. I am privileged to be able to conduct my own investigations as a part of this general agenda. The world of social science is an exciting place. New ideas are constantly generated, data collected, and theories revised (some more than others). These efforts are the result of the hard work of many brilliant individuals who are passionate about advancing our understanding of human nature. I learn new things from my fellow researchers every day and am also frequently reminded of how much I don’t know (for a partial list of references and additional readings, see the end of this book).

In the process of writing this book I was forced to realize how far I am from being able to write well, and my deepest thanks go to Erin Allingham, who helped me write, Bronwyn Fryer, who helped me see more clearly, and Claire Wachtel, who helped me keep the whole thing in perspective and with a sense of humor that is rare in editors. And thank you to the HarperCollins team: Katherine Beitner, Katharine Baker, Michael Siebert, Elliott Beard, and Lynn Anderson kept the experience collaborative, engaging, and fun. I also received helpful comments and suggestions from Aline Grüneisen, Ania Jakubek, Jose Silva, Jared Wolfe, Kali Clark, Rebecca Waber, and Jason Bissey. Sophia Cui and my friends at McKinney gave me invaluable creative direction, and the team at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency were there to help in every possible way. Very special thanks also go to the person who makes my hectic life possible: Megan Hogerty.

Finally, a general sentiment of appreciation to my lovely wife, Sumi. I used to think that I was very easy to live with, but with every passing year I realize more and more how difficult it must be to live with me and, in contrast, how wonderful it is to live with you. Sumi, I will change the broken lightbulbs tonight when I get home. Actually, I will probably be late, so I will do it tomorrow. Well, you know what? I will definitely do it this weekend. I promise.

Loving,

Dan