ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This revised edition is in large part the result of input provided
by former students who have commented on the value of the text,
and the help it has provided in a variety of courses that they have
taken. Also many friends, colleagues and acquaintances have
used the book to introduce themselves to, or reacquaint them
selves with, the great ideas. Those who used the book as a
beginning primer have validated my hope that complex ideas
could be simply stated and easily understood. I remain indebted
to my colleagues and friends— those who initially advised me—
Peter Donase Edward Kovacs, Stewart Hulbert, and Raol Wolf.
I thank, once again, those who continue to advise and instruct
me— Harold “Jeff’ Atwood, Patrick Skruck and Richard Harper.
The initial project would have never gotten off the ground
without the help and encouragement of Barry Merkin, and this
second edition was made possible by the creative talents of
Frank Derato.
I owe a special debt to Emily Green whose help in the
preparation of the revised manuscript was important and whose
good humor throughout the process was invaluable.
Again, my thanks to the literally thousands of students who
elected to study with me— who accepted the challenge and opted
to read the difficult books, engaged the complex ideas, struggled
with the difficulties of serious discussion and made the hard
decisions about their own values— and to those special ones
whose questions, insights and analysis continue to broaden my
understanding and appreciation of our western heritage.Trumbull, Connecticut
1992