This book is the result of a study that started approximately three years ago. Several persons have contributed to its development and refinement in one way or another. In this preface, I would like to take the opportunity to thank them.

To begin with, I would like to express my warmest appreciation to the leadership team, for their continuous support, encouragement, and valuable ideas. All of them went through several, valuable rounds of thorough critiques on drafts of every chapter.

I am very grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to work together. Our continuous, mind-expanding, and constructive discussions have been an inexhaustible source of inspiration for the both of us. Her never-ceasing, infectious enthusiasm and broad research skills have been an invaluable input for making this book the best possible. This book has been significantly enhanced by their detailed suggestions and broader reactions that helped me to shape this book.