Among the many debts of gratitude I have incurred along the way in writing this book, I most want to recognize the generous and expert suggestions made by several friends and colleagues who read early drafts of various chapters, provided helpful suggestions, and offered encouragement: Peter Williams, Marilyn Chiat, Gretchen Buggeln, Michael Driscoll, the anonymous reviewer for Oxford University Press, Jeanne Barker-Nunn, Calvin Roetzel, and Susan Graham. Numerous people stepped up to provide illustrations, and they, too, have my enduring gratitude. Also, I want to note that this synthetic survey rests upon the meticulous scholarship of many gifted re- searchers to whom I owe a great debt of gratitude. Finally, I dedicate this book to my husband, Paul Kilde, who convinced me that this would be a useful project and provided aid and encouragement every step of the way.