se contributions have helped to inspire and create the final masterpiece. I'm sure you have heard the expression that "it takes a village to raise a child." Well, believe me, it takes a village to publish a book as well, and I had the ultimate delight of the cooperation of a most talented, focused, hard-working, yet easygoing village! To start, the first acknowledgment must go to the woman who recognized the need for and value of publishing the second edition of Telecommunications Essentials: my acquisitions editor at Addison-Wesley, Catherine Nolan. Thank you, Catherine, for your recognition of the fact that our readers worldwide were ready and waiting for an update to the expanding realm of telecommunications technolo- gies, infrastructures, and applications. The next hugely important recognition goes to Kitty Wilson Jarrett, my superb editor, who knows her craft better than any other editor I've ever worked with. Our close working relationship on both editions has resulted in work of high integrity and has also led us to a great friendship, one that will bring rewards beyond those we gain from having created a book that will serve many a mind yearning to learn all about the wonders of telecommunications-and that means you benefit from a collaboration intent on providing the highest quality possible! Of course, the contributions of my reviewers are all important, and I consider myself very fortunate to have had their attention and commentary; after all, they had over 800 pages of new content to review! With their busy schedules, I am Acknowledgments astounded at the level of commitment they made to reviewing the new edition and their attention to detail. I very much took to heart their different perspectives, which added great value to this book. It is with great pleasure that I individually thank them: Steve Riley, senior security strategist in Microsoft's Security Technology Unit, was also a reviewer for the first edition. Along with being a super- smart technology guru, particularly in all things to do with 