xii ACKnOWLEDGEMEnTS Finally, Marcy Swenson took me seriously when I came to her and said "I know you're an executive coach, but I want you to coach me through writing a book." Which she did, along with helping me organize the rest of my life so that I could get the writing done. Thanks to Maya Gurantz, Alex Creighton, and Kim Karlsrud, who managed to keep me and all of my projects from imploding from distraction. To everyone whom I may have forgotten: I am so sorry. As described in Chapter 19, this book was mostly written in Four Barrel Coffee, in San Francisco. Parts were also written at Maxfield's House of Caffeine, Ritual Roasters, and Bean There (and probably twenty other cafés scattered throughout the world). The music that kept me going was made by: Aesop Rock, Amsterdam Klezmer Band, Arctic Monkeys, Ben Frost, Blonde Redhead, Busdriver, Clinic, Daft Punk, Danger Mouse, Digitalism, El-P, Fever Ray, Grinderman, Gundecha Brothers, HEALTH, Jay-Z, Jóhann Jóhannsson, John Vanderslice, Man Man, Ministry, neko Case, nine Inch nails, noisia, Paris, Plaid, Santo(i)gold, Sparklehorse, Talib Kweli, The Roots, the xx, Wasfuddin Dagar, Yeasayer, Black Moth Super Rainbow, Ministry, The Black Keys, The Fiery Furnaces, The White Stripes, and These new Puritans.