The curriculum that evolved into the ideas for this series was inspired by Philbert Yau and Chuck Rosipal, two talented and forthright students, who have since graduated from medical school. It has been a tremendous joy to work with my excellent coauthors, Dr Susan Raine, who is an extraordinary educator, patient advocate, and attorney, and Dr Thomas I. Cochrane, whose expertise in neurology and ethics is the perfect combination for this text. I am greatly indebted to my editor, Catherine Johnson, whose exuberance, experience, and vision helped to shape this series. I appreciate McGraw-Hill's believing in the concept of teaching through clinical cases. I am also grateful to Catherine Saggese for her excellent production expertise and Cindy Yoo for her wonderful editing. I cherish the ever-organized and precise Hardik Popli and Anupriya Tyagi, project managers, whose precision and talent I greatly value. I appreciate Linda Swagger for her sage advice and support. At Methodist, I appreciate Drs Judy Paukert, Marc Boom, and Alan Kaplan who have welcomed our residents. Without my dear colleagues Drs Konrad Harms, Priti Schachel, Gizelle Brooks Carter, and Russell Edwards, this book could not have been written. Most of all, I appreciate my ever-loving wife Terri, and our 4 wonderful children—Andy and his wife Anna, Michael, Allison, and Christina—for their patience and understanding.