Acknowledgments
This book, in many ways, lived up to its title while being written. There were
many occasions when it seemed as though everything was irreparably fucked
because I had fallen victim to my own overzealous hopes. Yet, somehow—
often late at night, with me staring bleary-eyed at a mush of words on my
screen—things came together. And now I am incredibly proud of the result.
I wouldn’t have survived this ordeal without the help and support of a
great number of people. My editor, Luke Dempsey, who lived with the same
gun to his head for six months (or more) that I did—you really came through
in stoppage time, mate. Thank you. Mollie Glick, who is more like a fairy
godmother at this point than an agent—I wake up, and amazing shit just
appears in my life out of nowhere. It’s incredible. To my Web team, Philip
Kemper and Drew Birnie, who continue to make me appear far more
competent and knowledgeable than I actually am—I’m extremely proud of
what the three of us have built online and I can’t wait to see what you two are
capable of in coming years.
And then there’s the smattering of friends who showed up big when it
counted: Nir Eyal—for getting me up and writing during many frigid New
York mornings when I could easily have stayed in bed. Taylor Pearson, James
Clear, and Ryan Holiday—for listening to me vent and ramble and freak out
when I needed to (which was fairly often) and for patiently offering advice.
Peter Shallard, Jon Krop, and Jodi Ettenberg—for dropping everything to
read some maimed chapter and then sending me notes and feedback. Michael
Covell—for being a top-shelf bro. And WS, who somehow managed to be
both the cause and solution to this whole fucking mess—you were an
unexpected inspiration without even trying to be. “The trick is you bite off
more than you can chew . . . and then you chew it.”
I’d be remiss if I did not give a shout out the NYC Chapter of the
Gentleman’s Literary Safari—how could I have known that a nerdy book club
started in my kitchen last summer would regularly be the highlight of my
month? Much of this book was born from those long philosophical
meanderings with you guys. Thank you. And remember, lads: “Being is
always the being of a being.”