We knew going into this project that Bill Bearden, Tom Ingram, and Buddy LaForge were eminent researchers and scholars and highly acclaimed teachers; and we were tremendously pleased when this illustrious team agreed to publish an introductory marketing textbook with IRWIN. What we didn't know, but soon found out, was that they are also extremely hardworking, dedicated, and patient authors, sensitive and open to reviewer and Publisher suggestions for improving and polishing the various manuscript drafts. Their passionate commitment to facilitating student learning with the most cur-rent material and to making marketing fun for their students is unsurpassed. Through it all they kept a sense of humor, needling each other (and IRWIN) whenever the opportunity arose-which happened often over the course of the project. As Publisher, however, IRWIN gets the last word. And so we present Achievement Awards to Bill, for meeting all deadlines and submitting the longest chapters; to Tom, for taking the most minivacations; and to Buddy, for not failing to miss every single deadline.