So many people have been involved in the process of creating this book. I am
grateful to my agent, Faith Hamlin, whose wisdom and love helped focus and
nourish the book. I also feel blessed to have Betsy Rapoport as my editor at
Times Books. She truly understood the significance of this book and helped
me present the ideas in a clear, accessible way. Also, I very much appreciate
the staff at Times Books, who have been deeply committed to this project.
This book would not have been possible without the staff at the Amen Clinic.
From the front-office staff to the staff clinicians I consider these people part of
my family and feel grateful to have their love, dedication, knowledge, and
wisdom. I am especially grateful to Shelley Bernhard, the clinic manager, who
keeps all of us on track; to Lucinda Tilley, my assistant, who prepared all the
images in the book and spent many hours in research; to Bob Gessler, who is
always willing to help and pitch in; and to the forward-thinking staff physicians
and clinical staff, Stanley Yantis, Jennifer Lendl, Jonathan Scott Halverstadt,
Ronnette Leonard, Lewis Van Osdel, Cecil Oakes, Matthew Stubblefield, Ed
Spencer, Brian Goldman, Jane Massengill, Lloyd King, and Cora Davidson.
In addition, I so much appreciate my friends and colleagues Earl Henslin,
Sheila Krystal, and Linda and Leon Webber for reading the manuscript and
giving feedback.
Finally, my gratitude and love go to my family, who have lived through my
brain research for the past ten years. I know that many times they were tired of
listening about the brain and SPECT imaging but nonetheless loved me
anyway and gave me the limbic connectedness necessary to live and make a
difference in the lives of others.