Decision Synthesis

During the four years that have elapsed from the initial concept to the publication of this book, we have received helpful advice from many people. We want to record our particular thanks to a number of our colleagues who have read part or all of the manuscript, and given constructive criticism. These are, in alphabetical order, Val Belton, Terry Bresnick, Rex Brown, Sue Brownlow, Nick Butterworth, Elizabeth Collins, Baruch Fischhoff, Vivien Fleck, Anthony Freeling, Gary Frisvold, Elizabeth Garnsey, Colin Gill, Lisa Griesen, Kenneth Kuskey, Warner North, James Onken, and Jake Ulvila. In recording our thanks, however, we also want to state that any inaccuracies in our text are our responsibility alone, and, if readers find any, we would be grateful to learn of them. Many authors and publishers have kindly granted us permission to quote from their works, and we would also like to record our thanks to all these. In addition we wish to thank Richard Lund, who provided the photograph used to reproduce Figure 8.25.

Readers will find a guide to the book – what it contains, and how to use it — in Chapter 1. We do not mention there the use of the exercises in chapters 3, 4, and 7, however.