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Preface At the Dawn of Modernity got its inspiration from my aging mother’s absolute confusion in trying to grasp the implications of twentieth-century social changes for the way that she lived during her last years. The writing of this social history got its energy from my desire to make my understanding of those “implications of social change” intelligible for Matthew and Rachel, to whom this work is lovingly dedicated. I should also like to thank my eclectic network of academic colleagues— Donna Andrew, Ernest Benz, Stan Engerman, Chad Gaffield, John Gillis, Stan Holwitz, Ed Hundert, Catherina Lis, Kate Lynch, Angus McLaren, Hans Medick, Pavla Miller, Leslie Moch, David Sabean, Roger Schofield, Wally Seccombe, Ned Shorter, Hugo Soly, Louise Tilly, Keith Wrightson, and Zvi Razi—each in his or her own way, none in the same way; their intellectual comradeship has been invaluable over the years. I remember Andy Appleby fondly; his encouragement and the generous confidence he showed in my abilities still buoy my spirits. Charles Tilly stands primum inter pares; my academic godfather has always made himself available to me while being generous with his time, his criticisms, and his immense intellectual gifts. Cathy Lace, Ron Silvers, and Hesh Troper stood by me during some crazy times while this book was written. Above all, Jennifer has had to listen to my stories about the ups and downs and the fits of exasperated frustration that any author endures. She has been patient, steadfast, confident, and ironically detached from it all. Who could ask for more? vii This page intentionally left blank ...

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