ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  For writers, acknowledgments are never easy. The fear (bordering on paralysis) is that we might leave someone out and thereby earn an enemy for life. To avoid this dreadful outcome, the temptation is not just to thank the usual suspects but to heap praise on everyone who could possibly have contributed to the successful completion of our project: lawyers, barbers, certified public accountants, and the bartender at our local watering hole, who kept the booze coming during our frequent bouts of writer’s block.  The problem is compounded when the work in question is an autobiography. How can I avoid thanking my first grade teacher, who taught me how to read, or my first employer, who fired me, thus closing the door on a career as produce manager at a supermarket, or my first girlfriend, who taught me that she didn’t always want me to take no for an answer? But I will avoid that temptation. Indeed, I will acknowledge the efforts of only three people. Bob Lescher is a literary agent of the old school: wise, experienced, patient, and courtly. A few years ago he took a look at a brief professional autobiography I had written for inclusion in The History of Psychology in Autobiography, and he was enthusiastic about turning it into a book. I knew it wouldn’t be easy; my memory was sluggish and getting worse by the day. Moreover, I was certain that no publisher would be interested in the autobiography of an amnesiac whose name is not exactly a household word. “The damn thing will sell eleven copies,” I said, “and all eleven buyers will be Aronsons.” But Bob was at least half right: Publishers were interested. My friend and occasional coauthor, Carol Tavris, played a decisive role in the completion of this project. Indeed, if an autobiography could have a coauthor, she would be it. By continually asking provocative questions, she succeeded in transforming my sluggish memory into a treasure chest of previously forgotten events and stories. Under Carol’s prodding, entire dialogues came back to me verbatim. Carol also played a major role in shaping the work, helping me to eliminate irrelevant details and focus on specific themes that have run throughout my life. Her love for the project was sustaining and her assistance invaluable. Finally, I was blessed with a brilliant young editor, Whitney Casser, who was adept at trimming away the fat of redundancy and overstatement and continually forced me to “show rather than tell” wherever possible. Her talent and good humor were a great asset to me and to the final product. 在线 阅读网：hTTp://wwW.yuedu88.com/