Author’s Dedication

To my friends, Stephen Mitchell (with whom nothing is lost in translation) and his wife, Byron Katie (sanity's siren).

Among those who have helped in the 27-year journey of this project are:

Bill Moyers

Rev. F. Forester Church

Chevalier’s Bookstore

Ollie Ashtari-Larki

Ashley Rossman

Natalie Barbrie

Diana Copeland

Penn Jillette & Teller

Stephen Mitchell and, later, his wife, Byron Kathleen Mitchell

Patricia Heaton and her husband, David Hunt

Dr. Dale and Kathy Bruner

Michael Bruner

Mark Dimunation

Library of Congress

Norman and Lyn Lear

Elaine Pagels

Emily Lazar

Evangeline Morphos

Jonathan Alter

Alan Brinkley

Joe Cohen

Nancy Rose

Corinne Hayoun

George Lane

My wife Bebe and my daughters Calla and Colette who suffered through the early drafts

Steve Skrovan

Michael Patrick King

Richard Plepler

Michael Lombardo at HBO

Dossie McCraw

Michael Bollinger & South Orange (NJ) Performing Arts Center

Bill Maher

Stephen K. Bannon

HBO

Cornel West & Princeton

S.E. Cupp & New York University

Pepperdine

Universal Church

Dixon Place

Ellie Covan

Jon Meacham

Arianna Huffington

Agapi Stassinopoulos

Shirley MacLaine

Tim Robbins & The Actors' Gang

Mark Flanagan & Largo

Brian Obee

The Invisible Theatre

Susan Claussen

John Lenarz & Phoenix Ensemble Theatre

Irshad Manji

Alan Buchman & The Culture Project

Will Pomerantz

Independent Shakespeare Company

David Melville

Melissa Chalsma

Christopher Booth

Kevin Laibson & The Tank

Richard Schiff

Falcon Theatre

Kathleen Marshall

Garry Marshall

Casey Stangl

Clay Jenkinson

Alec McCowan

Michael Frayn and, later, his wife, Claire Tomalin

A.N. Wilson

Simon Callow

Rosamund Bartlett

Peter Ackroyd