While writing this book, I relied heavily on a network of "thinking buddies" -- most especially Richard Garriott, Amy Bruckman, Raph Koster, Mike Sellers, and Randy Farmer -- who logged countless hours helping me sort the wheat from the chaff, and stretching my thinking about community design. To these folks I'll be forever grateful - and also to Eric Bergner, who helped me navigate the ever-changing landscape of legal issues that are associated with online communities. 

I'm also indebted to the many incredible people that I interviewed during the course of researching and writing this book, who shared their stories and insights with me. There are too many to name here, but I'd like to say a special thank you to Christina Allen, Teri Anderson, Jonathan Baron, Reva Basch, Larry Betterton, Jen Beckman, David Bohnett, Marissa Bowe, Matthew Calaway, Melissa Callaway, Candace Carpenter, Jerry Colonna, Joe Cothrel, Jill Davidson, Mike Dixon, Judith Donath, Abbe Don,  Elonka Dunkin, Rebecca Eisenberg, Myra Ettenborough, Nancy Evans, Tom Evans, Cliff Figallo, Tod Foley, David Forrest, Michelle Fox, Mary Furlong, Russell Ginns, James Gosling,  Doug Hirsch, Katherine Isbister, Mimi Ito, Brian Jamison, Daryl-Lynn Johnson, Erika Kerakas, Peter Kollack, Laurie Kretchmar,  Tori Kropp, Steve Larsen, Rick Levenson, Elizabeth Lewis, Macdara Maccoll, Rob Malda, Miko Matsumura, Teri Meyers,  Brad McQuaid, Rebecca Newton, Jakob Nielsen, Yu-Shen Ng, Mollee Olenick, Pierre Omidyar, Rory O'Neill,  Bo Peabody, Rich Pearson, Teri Piedrahita, Chip Pedersen, Derek Powazek, Toby Ragnini, Mike Ragsdale, Howard Rheingold, Rich Rhygg, David Rosenthal, Dan Shafer, Ted Silverman, Marc Smith, Jonathan Steuer, Margaret Gould Stewart,  Joe Szuecs, John Tang, Bud Tribble, Cynthia Typaldos, Janine Vercoe, John Wampler, Meg Whitman, Gail Williams, Gary Woo, and Amy Yoffie. Each of you contributed something special and tangible to this book - and without your time and input, these ideas would never have reached fruition. 

Any consultant is only as good as her network of clients and colleagues - and I've learned so much from the people I've worked with over the years, most especially Kristin Asleson, Bernard Bernstein, Malcolm Casselle, Pavel Curtis, Allie Eberhard, E. David Ellington, Scott Fisher, Laura Foley, Peter Friedman, Tom Gooden, Bing Gordon, Wendy Govier, Gano Haine, Kevin Kelly, Marylou Korba, Dan Leeds, Starr Long, Keith McKurdy, Tom McIntire, Brian Moriarty, Buffy Poon, Suneel Rashad, David Rosenthal, Harriet Rubin, Damien Schubert, Carly Staehlin, Robert Tercek, David Vogler, Kathy Wilson, Michael Wilson, Jenna Woodul,  and Neil Young. 

A special thanks to the students in my Stanford "Community Design" class - Eric Cheng, Patrick Doyle, Andy Hsieh, Mustafa Jamil, David Jordan, Michael LaHood, Eun-Ju Lee, Xia Li, Gordon McNaughton, Rajat Paharia, Yael Pasternak, Chris Quartetti, Ashley Ring, Isaac Roth, Mark Thompson, and Teresa Torres -- who called me on my bullshit, kept  me honest, and helped me shape the structure of this book. 

And lastly, a heartfelt thanks to the iconoclasts and independent thinkers who have inspired me over the years with their talent and conviction, and by example have given me the courage to pursue my own idiosyncratic vision - most especially Laurie Anderson, Chuck Clanton, Brian Eno, Bill Joy, and Brenda Laurel.