This novel, in loving memory,
is dedicated to Stanley G. Weinbaum,
for his having given the world his story,
“A Martian Odyssey.”

Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny, Deus Irae, 1976.

I dedicate this book to my late father, Harry L. Wolke, to whom fate denied the opportunity of pursuing his own inclinations toward science and language, or even of seeing his son become a scientist and an author.

This one’s for you, Pop.

Robert Wolke, What Einstein Told His Barber : More Scientific Answers to Everyday Questions, Random House, 2000.

To my parents,
my husband,
my daughter
and all the good souls around the world
whose inspiration, prayers, support and love
blessed my heart and sustained me in
the years of living history.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, Living History, Simon & Schuster, 2003.

To my parents, Bill and Sammie Rodden.
And Douglas: You are my Vitamin D.

Tara Rodden Robinson, Genetics for Dummies, Wiley, 2005.

This book is dedicated to the memory of Barbara McClintock (1902-1992). In 1983 she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Genetics for the discovery of “jumping genes” (genes that regularly change their positions on chromosomes). In 1944 she served as President of the Genetics Society of America, and in 1945 was President of the National Academy of Sciences. She once confided to me that one reason for her devotion to the study of corn was to combat loneliness.

James Schooley, Introduction to botany, Delmar Publisher, 1997.

First and foremost, we dedicate this book to George R. Zug, our former coauthor (see Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, Second Edition), who, like us, had a vision of a herpetology textbook that would capture the interest of students who want to learn about what we consider to be the most fascinating organisms on Earth. We also dedicate this book to Coleman and Olive Goin, pioneers in North American herpetology whose original herpetology textbook led to this entire series. Finally, we dedicate this book to all researchers, teachers, students, and amateurs who share a common interest in amphibians and reptiles (even though these two groups are not closely related phylogenetically), and who share the common goal of conserving these remarkable organisms and their natural habitats.

L. J. V. and J. P. C.

Laurie J. Vitt and Janalee P. Caldwell, Herpetology : An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, 3rd ed., Academic Press, 2009.

To Renée,
A woman of uncommon beauty,
A fiercely loyal friend,
A compassionate critic,
A doting mother,
A perfect wife.

John Grisham, A Time to Kill, 1989

To the memory of my father, Bill Abbott, who never doubted that he had hit the jackpot when he married Marnie Griggs, my mother.

And to my beloved son and daughter-in-law, Ivan and Dina, for the joy of sharing your lives and for making me a grandmother.

Elizabeth Abbott, A History of Marriage, 2010

To the memory of Grammy and Papa Joe,
who came, struggled, and prospered,
Mr. Goddard notwithstanding.

Stephen Jay Gould, The Mismeasure of Man, 1981

TO NORMAN D. NEWELL
Who was, and is, in the most noble
word of all human speech, my teacher

Stephen Jay Gould, Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History, 1989

To my mother, who gave me a love of life
To Hillary, who gave me a life of love
To Chelsea, who gave joy and meaning to it all
And to the memory of my grandfather,
who taught me to look up to people others looked down on,
because we’re not so different after all

Bill Clinton, My Life, 2004

To my mother and my father
θυμῶι μἀχεσθαι χαλεπόν ὅ γἀρ ἄν θέληι, ψυχής ὠνεῖται.
Heraclitus

Ava Chitwood, Death by philosophy: the biographical tradition in the life and death of the archaic philosophers Empedocles, Heraclitus, and Democritus, The University of Michigan Press, 2004

In memory of my parents
who showed me the grass
on the other side of the fence

Peter M. Gardner, Journeys to the edge : in the footsteps of an anthropologist, University of Missouri Press, 2006

To my daughter Anna,
who helped me through Boltzmann’s dense German

Carlo Cercignani, Ludwig Boltzmann : the man who trusted atoms, Oxford, University Press, 1998

I dedicate this book to
all future pioneers in science.

Katherine Cullen, Physics: the people behind the science, Chelsea House, 2006

For Thomas Paine,
An American Patriot with Common Sense
and
For Helen,
An Uncommon Wife

William John Cox, You’re Not Stupid! Get the Truth : A Brief on the Bush Presidency, Progressive Press, 2004

To Judy,
who made it all possible

George A. Olah, A life of magic chemistry : autobiographical reflections of a nobel prize winner, Wiley-Interscience, 2001

This book is dedicated to my good friends Carol Hoffman,
Paula Herbst, and Audrey and Alan Taylor,
without whose incredible support this volume
would not have been completed;
and to my niece Julie Grossman
and my nephew Bradley Grossman,
who wanted to see their name in print
and finally get the chance.

Mark Grossman, World military leaders : a biographical dictionary, Facts On File, 2007

This work of pure fiction
is dedicated to the memory of

EUGENE VICTOR DEBS
1855-1929

While there is a lower class
I am in it.
While there is a criminal element
I am of it.
While there is a soul in prison
I am not free.

Kurt Vonnegut, Hocus Pocus, 1990

For my youngest son, Everett, who made me feel young again. With my fervent hope that when you’re old enough to read this story, you will have had (or still be in the midst of) an ideal childhood — as different from the one described here as anyone could imagine.

John Irving, Until I Find You, 2005

For my wife Shyla,
whose love provided
the light
and the space
for five novels

John Irving, The Hotel New Hampshire, 1981

To the Spirit:

Without whose assistance
Neither this book
Nor I
Would have been
Written.

Alice Walker, The Color Purple, 1982

To the memory of Carl Sagan, 1934-1996, colleague and inspiration, whose lecture on “The Burden of Skepticism” ten years ago gave me a beacon when I was intellectually and professionally adrift, and ultimately inspired the birth of the Skeptics Society, Skeptic magazine, and this book, as well as my commitment to skepticism and the liberating possibilities of science

Michael Shermer, Why People Believe Weird Things : Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time, 1997

This book is dedicated
with deepest love and affection
to my wife, Bonnie Gray.
Her love, vulnerability, wisdom, and strength
have inspired me to be the best I can be
and to share what we have learned together.

John Gray, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus : The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex, 1993