ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
A book of this scope would have been extremely difficult without the assistance and support of numerous
individuals—friends, colleagues, architects/engineers, and contractors—who contributed greatly to the for-
mation and crystallization of my thoughts and insights on many of the topics and issues discussed herein.
I am also indebted to innumerable people and organizations that have contributed ideas, comments, pho-
tographs, illustrations, and other items that have helped make this book a reality instead of a pipe dream.
I must also unequivocally mention that without the unfailing fervor, encouragement, and wisdom of Mr.
Roger Woodson, president of Lone Wolf Enterprises, Ltd., and Ms. Joy Bramble Oehlkers, senior editor
with McGraw-Hill, this book might still be on the drawing board. It is always a great pleasure working with
them. I must likewise acknowledge the wonderful work of Project Manager Jacquie Wallace for her unwa-
vering commitment and support, and for always being there for me when I needed assistance or advice.
I also wish to thank Ms. Wendy Lochner for copy editing the first drafts, and Ms. Leona Woodson for proof-
reading the final drafts and indexing the book. I would certainly be amiss if I did not mention my gratitude
to Mr. Jeff Weeks for his excellent cover design.
Mechanical engineer Stephen Christian deserves a special thanks for reviewing Chapter 7 and for his
many useful comments and suggestions, and professional land surveyor Donald Jernigan for reviewing
parts of Chapter 6. I must not forget to thank my wife, Ibtesam, for her loving companionship and support
and for helping me prepare many of the CAD drawings and line illustrations. Last but not least, I wish to
record my gratitude to all those who came to my rescue during the final stretch of this work—the many
nameless colleagues—architects, engineers, and contractors who kept me motivated with their ardent en-
thusiasm, support, and technical expertise. I relied on them in so many ways, and while no words can re-
flect the depth of my gratitude to all of the above for their assistance and advice, in the final analysis, I alone
must bear responsibility for any mistakes, omissions, or errors that may have found their way into the text.Copyright © 2009 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Click here for terms of use. xvii