First, thanks to everyone on the Internet who submitted corrections and suggestions; you’ve been tremendously helpful in improving the quality of this book, and I couldn’t have done it without you. Special thanks to John Cook.

The ideas and understanding in this book have come from many sources: friends like Chuck Allison, Andrea Provaglio, Dan Saks, Scott Meyers, Charles Petzold, and Michael Wilk; pioneers of the language like Bjarne Stroustrup, Andrew Koenig, and Rob Murray; members of the C++ Standards Committee like Nathan Myers (who was particularly helpful and generous with his insights), Bill Plauger, Reg Charney, Tom Penello, Tom Plum, Sam Druker, and Uwe Steinmueller; people who have spoken in my C++ track at the Software Development Conference; and often students in my seminars, who ask the questions I need to hear in order to make the material more clear.

A huge thank-you to my friend Gen Kiyooka, whose company Digigami has provided me with a web server.

My friend Richard Hale Shaw and I have taught C++ together; Richard’s insights and support have been very helpful (and Kim’s, too). Thanks also to KoAnn Vikoren, Eric Faurot, Jennifer Jessup, Tara Arrowood, Marco Pardi, Nicole Freeman, Barbara Hanscome, Regina Ridley, Alex Dunne, and the rest of the cast and crew at MFI.

A special thanks to all my teachers and all my students (who are my teachers as well).

And for favorite writers, my deep appreciation and sympathy for your efforts: John Irving, Neal Stephenson, Robertson Davies (we shall miss you), Tom Robbins, William Gibson, Richard Bach, Carlos Castaneda, and Gene Wolfe.

To Guido van Rossum, for inventing Python and giving it selflessly to the world. You have enriched my life with your contribution.

Thanks to the people at Prentice Hall: Alan Apt, Ana Terry, Scott Disanno, Toni Holm, and my electronic copy-editor Stephanie English. In marketing, Bryan Gambrel and Jennie Burger.

Sonda Donovan helped with the production of the CD Rom. Daniel Will-Harris (of course) created the silkscreen design that’s on the Disc itself.

To all the great folks in Crested Butte, thanks for making it a magical place, especially Al Smith (creator of the wonderful Camp4 Coffee Garden), my neighbors Dave & Erika, Marsha at Heg’s Place bookstore, Pat & John at the Teocalli Tamale, Sam at the Bakery Café, and Tiller for his help with audio research. And to all the terrific people that hang out at Camp4 in and make my mornings interesting.

The supporting cast of friends includes, but is not limited to, Zack Urlocker, Andrew Binstock, Neil Rubenking, Kraig Brockschmidt, Steve Sinofsky, JD Hildebrandt, Brian McElhinney, Brinkley Barr, Larry O’Brien, Bill Gates at Midnight Engineering Magazine, Larry Constantine, Lucy Lockwood, Tom Keffer, Dan Putterman, Gene Wang, Dave Mayer, David Intersimone, Claire Sawyers, the Italians (Andrea Provaglio, Rossella Gioia, Laura Fallai, Marco & Lella Cantu, Corrado, Ilsa and Christina Giustozzi), Chris and Laura Strand (and Parker), the Almquists, Brad Jerbic, Marilyn Cvitanic, the Mabrys, the Haflingers, the Pollocks, Peter Vinci, the Robbins, the Moelters, Dave Stoner, Laurie Adams, the Cranstons, Larry Fogg, Mike and Karen Sequeira, Gary Entsminger and Allison Brody, Kevin, Sonda, & Ella Donovan, Chester and Shannon Andersen, Joe Lordi, Dave and Brenda Bartlett, the Rentschlers, Lynn and Todd, and their families. And of course, Mom and Dad.

[1] Bjarne Stroustrup, The C++ Programming Language, Addison-Wesley, 1986 (first edition).

[2] Using C++, Osborne/McGraw-Hill 1989.

[3] Using C++ and C++ Inside & Out, Osborne/McGraw-Hill 1993.