It is a pleasure to take note of my friends and associates who have helped me with this book. Peter Goldreich, Paul Castenholz, Dom Sanchini, and John Nuckolls granted interviews or gave critical reviews of text. Eric Hannah, Robert Salkeld, Michael Hart, Eric Jones, and Keith Miller have furnished me with unpublished manuscripts or have described their work to me. In addition, I have had valuable discussions and comments from Peter Glaser, Brian O'Leary, Gerard K. O'Neill, John Billingham, Mike Papagiannis, Jill Tartar, Dave Black, Mark Stull, Tom Hagler, Neville Motts, Jerry Ross, Eugene Shoemaker, Jim Oberg, and Phil Chapman.

Particularly valuable have been my occasional-to-frequent get-togethers with Mark Hopkins; with Gayle Pergamit, Phil Salin, and the rest of the Stanford Committee for Space Development; and with Carol Motts, Terry Savage, and the other members of OASIS (Organization for the Advancement of Space Industrialization and Settlement). I also have been glad to discuss my ideas with Eric Drexler, Gayle Westrate, Nancy Williamson, Don Davis, Dave Ross, Don Dixon, Ellene Levenson, Bob Rubin, Ronnie Ross, Anita Gale, and Charles and Jeri Shuford.

A number of people have helped me in securing artwork and source materials. Among these have been James K. Harrison, Charles Darwin, Gordon Woodcock, Bill Rice, Joyce Lincoln, Sima Winkler, Sue Cometa, Roselle Killingbeck, Chuck Gould, Sandy Henry, Vera Buescher, Bill Gilbreath, Dick Preston, Tom Hagler, Gayle Westrate, Don Davis, Ron Miller, Robert Salkeld, Carolyn Henson, Charles Biggs, Ed Bock, Lou Fattorosi, Alan Wood, Mike Ross, Louis Parker, Jack Bell, and Larry King. Also, Joan Tregarthen took care of some of my photoduplicating.

Don Dixon deserves special mention for his artwork of high quality, for his unfailing support, and for his ability to come through with what I needed. His secretary, Suzie Osemore, has also helped. My editor, Neil McAleer, throughout this work has gone to great lengths to be sure it would meet his standards. Rose Kaplan, our consulting editor, has also given valuable critiques.

And, in all this I have had the support and encouragement of Carol Wilson, whose commitment to excellence has been an unfailing source of good cheer.

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