Acknowledgements

To Kelly Andrews, Ethan Lynette, Suzanne Munson, Sarah Dohman, Whitney Palmerton, Lester Meeks, and Jake Hartsoch, all of whom have been a joy to work with.  Thank you for welcoming me so warmly!

To the scores of clients and readers who continue to swell my “Thank You” file with their poignant letters of gratitude for the ways my book has apparently changed their lives.  It is this type of appreciation which buoys me when I occasionally feel disheartened by a medical community which has yet to fully grasp the scientific validity and endless benefits of the Fertility Awareness Method.  And to those who took the time to write me the most eloquent and touching letters expressing how the book impacted their lives to such an extent that they changed careers—especially to Alyssa Mayer for earning her Ph.D. in public health!

To my cherished friends who witnessed me go from a fairly gregarious and amiable person to a hermit who rarely came up for air while working on this edition.  You helped me maintain a sense of perspective when I kept wondering whether I would ever have a life again.  Especially Aud, Cath, Susan, and Sandy.

To Roger, who more than anyone, has had to peel me off the floor countless times when I thought the end would never arrive, and who sacrificed his personal space by negotiating around stacks of research studies, all manner of women’s health illustrations and copy-edited manuscripts, only to eat on the kitchen bread board lest he disturb any of the color-coded stacks.  Without his understanding support for months and months on end—heck, who am I kidding, years on end—I would never have been able to complete this book.  So thank you, thank you, thank you.

To my two older brothers, Lawrence Weschler, whose remarkable literary achievements game me the inspiration to write this book, and Robert Weschler, for being my own devil’s advocate who kept me constantly on my toes.

Finally, and most important, to my younger brother, Raymond, without whom I could never have written this book.  And even though we often rued the day that we ever started working together on this daunting project over 20 years ago, he was an indispensable editor, researcher, organizer, as well as an endless source of wit and moral support throughout this undertaking.  The fact is that we talked about sharing authorship credit, but he insisted that the book came from my passion and experiences, not his, and ultimately it was written with my voice.  Perhaps, but truth be told, Raymond was my co-writer.  I am eternally grateful to him for all he’s done, and most especially, for once again agreeing to work with me on this latest edition.  In so doing, he showed that despite all the grief we’ve given each other, determined siblings can get things done that no family counselors would’ve ever thought possible!