Database > Learning Oracle PL/SQL > Preface > Acknowledgments
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Acknowledgments
No book on PL/SQL could come into existence without a team of people pulling together. We are
indebted to all who have helped turn this idea into a reality.
From Bill
Thanks to Steven for letting me take the lead on this one. You should know that some of the best
prose in the book sprang forth from his prolific pen. It's hard to say how many times he read all
the words that I wrote for this book, but based on the volume of comments he supplied on (and
the resulting improvements in) the text, his reputation as "one of the world's leading experts on
PL/SQL" remains unchallenged.
Dave Hay, data modeler par excellence, helped me understand library data based on a model
from a class that he teaches, while Melinda Flannery of Rice University's Fondren Library gave
me some additional guidance in the real world. Although the data model and application in the
book don't even come close to the depth and complexity required in a real library, Dave and
Melinda at least gave me an idea of how much I need to apologize for this fact.
Technical reviewer Corrie Nettles was thankfully brazen in contributing insights from her
perspective as a complete newcomer to PL/SQL. She reminded me about issues faced when
learning the language that I could not have remembered any other way.
Two (unrelated) PL/SQL instructors provided some great feedback on the book: Miriam Moran
and Ron Martini. Contributing insights gleaned from their many hours teaching the language, their
knowledge of the PL/SQL student's mindset was invaluable. Miriam in particular read the book in
great detail, issuing forth insightful comments and helpful suggestions throughout.
Bill Phillips and Jose Montoya also reviewed portions of the book from the perspective of software
professionals already competent with other programming languages. I'm grateful to have received
the fruit of their experience, and the book is much better for it. Thanks also go to their coworker
Sandip Patel, who helped me test the sanity of various sample programs.
Thanks are also due to Oracle Corporation's PL/SQL development team, especially Chris Racicot
and David Alpern, who never seemed to tire of answering my strange questions; also, to Oracle's
documentation group, who have so improved the accuracy and completeness of the manuals that
I only rarely felt the urge to bother the developers.
I am also extremely grateful to Ellie Volckhausen, O'Reilly's graphic designer who created the
beautiful artwork on the cover of this book. Not only did Ellie tolerate my considerable irrationality,
she responded by giving much of herself to the research and design effort. The result is a cover
with not only wonderful visual appeal, but also one with a rich metaphoric contribution to the
book's overall theme. (For more information about the cover art, please read the Colophon,
located in the end pages.) Thanks as well to the entire O'Reilly production team.
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