Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Amanda Cook, editor of all editors, is a genius with vision who often left me feeling the sort of joy that actors must get when working for a great director. Amanda helped conceive the book and shepherded me through three exacting revisions. As if that weren’t enough, I also got fantabulous editorial advice from Neil Belton, my British editor; Don Lamm, half of the team that helped set me up with Amanda and Neil in the first place; and my wife, Athena, who, when it comes to editing, is an amateur with the skills of a professional. It’s hard to imagine another author being so lavished in editorial wisdom.

Conceptual wisdom came from a host of friends and colleagues. Zach Woods, Yaacov Trope, Hugh Rabagliati, Athena Vouloumanos, Rachel Howard, Iris Berent, Ezequiel Morsella, Cedric Boeckx, Deanna Kuhn, Erica Roedder, Ian Tattersall, and two sets of students at NYU generously read and critiqued the complete manuscript, while Meehan Crist, Andrew Gerngross, Joshua Greene, George Hadjipavlou, Jon Jost, Steve Pinker, and my father, Phil Marcus, made penetrating comments on individual chapters. I also thank Scott Atran, Noam Chomsky, Randy Gallistel, Paul Glimcher, Larry Maloney, and Massimo Piatelli-Palmarini for helpful discussion. Numerous people, some whom I’ve never met, helped me with queries ranging from the syntax of Esperanto to the evolution of the eyes of animals and the carbon cycle of plants; these include Don Harlow, Lawrence Getzler, Tyler Volk, Todd Gureckis, Mike Landy, and Dan Nilsson; my apologies to those I’ve failed to thank. I have only my memory to blame.

Christy Fletcher and Don Lamm are the dynamic duo who helped sell this book and connect me with Amanda Cook and Neil Belton; they’ve been supportive, energetic, and involved, everything an agent (or pair of agents) should be.

Finally, I’d like to thank my family — especially Athena, Mom, Dad, Linda, Julie, Peg, Esther, Ted, and Ben, and my in-laws Nick, Vickie, and the Georges — for their enthusiasm and unstinting support. Writing can be hard work, but with so many talented and loving people behind me, it’s always a pleasure.