and was a wonderful traveling companion. Warren Cohen, Elon
Green, and David Greenberg are great journalists and even greater
friends who provided wisdom and support throughout the process.
And my friend Stephen Metcalf, who is one of the smartest
writers, never tired of helping me to think through elements of the
book.
At The New Yorker, Iām blessed to be able to draw on the advice
of so many people brighter than I am, including Henry Finder,
Dorothy Wickenden, Leo Carey, Virginia Cannon, Ann Goldstein,
and Mary Norris. Eric Lach was a relentless fact-checker and
provided keen editorial suggestions. I asked far too much of
Burkhard Bilger, Tad Friend, Raffi Khatchadourian, Larissa
MacFarquhar, Nick Paumgarten, and Elizabeth Pearson-Griffiths.
They pored over portions of the manuscript, and in some cases all
of it, and helped me to see it more clearly. Daniel Zalewski has
taught me more about writing than anyone, and he spread his
magical dust over the manuscript. And David Remnick has been a
champion since the day I arrived at The New Yorker, enabling me
to pursue my passions and develop as a writer.
To call Kathy Robbins and David Halpern, at the Robbins Office,
and Matthew Snyder, at CAA, the best agents would not do them
justice. They are so much more than that: they are allies,
confidants, and friends.
As an author, I have found the perfect home at Doubleday. This
book would not have been possible without my brilliant editor and
publisher, Bill Thomas. He is the one who first encouraged me to
pursue this subject, who guided me through the highs and lows,
and who has edited and published this book with grace and
wisdom. Nor would this book have been possible without the
unfailing support of Sonny Mehta, the chairman of the Knopf
Doubleday Publishing Group. Nor would it have been possible