Swimming with Sharks

Letter to the Reader

A lot has happened since 2005 when this book was first published independently with a print run of five hundred copies. I’ve met many people who’ve accompanied and supported me along the way. I’d like to thank several of them here: First of all, my parents Dr. Bernward and Carola Löwenberg, my sisters Claudia Cohen and Camilla Altvater, and my brother-in-law Bruno Cohen, who translated this book into French—just for fun! Thanks also go to my agent, Andrea Wildgruber, and her colleagues from the Agence Hoffman literary agency in Munich. Special thanks to Susanne Hecker, who made particularly great contributions to this book. Susanne, you are simply wonderful! Thank you to Catherine Hackl for her work on reading the translated manuscript. And thank you to Gabriella Page-Fort, Declan Spring, and the entire team at AmazonCrossing—thanks to you all, my dream of bringing Swimming with Sharks to America has come true.

My biggest thanks go to my partner, Matthias Knöß. I’d only be half of what I am without you. I love you.