Acknowledgments

Many people helped bring this book to fruition. David Stoesz and Steven Rose provided steadfast support through the dark times. Maxine Epstein always asked how the book was coming along. It’s the little things. Larry Litterst read and commented on the manuscript. A special thanks to the people who agreed to be interviewed.

Brett Needham worked tirelessly on many of the interviews. Mandi Sheridan did a wonderful job of researching fringe economy corporations. Their contributions helped make the book better.

Mark Dowie, Jeff Kulick, Gabriela Melano, and Steven Slattery went above and beyond what should be expected of reviewers. Their commitment to the book made it better, and their questions made me rethink things, often grudgingly.

Thanks to Steve Piersanti, Jeevan Sivasubramaniam, and the Berrett-Koehler staff for believing in the project. Steve’s dogged pursuit of the “So what?” forced me to rethink the book. Their commitment to their books and their authors kept me going.

Writing can be selfish. Apologies to Aaron, Rafi, and Saul for a distracted dad. Thanks also to my father, Sam, who until his death always asked about the book. I miss him. Most of all, thanks to Anna, my wife, best friend, lover, critic, and loyal supporter. Whenever I got lost in the “Why the hell am I doing this?” she brought me back. Although undocumented, her astute insights infuse the better parts of this book. Without her I couldn’t have completed it.

A debt is also owed to the excellent research done by the many think tanks, advocacy groups, and consumer protection organizations working on the problem of the fringe economy. A short list includes the Consumer Federation of America, the National Consumer Law Center, Consumer Action, the Brookings Institution, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, ACORN, the North Carolina Self-Help Credit Union, and Shore-Bank. Without their important work this book could not have been written.