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ix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS T his book is the culmination of a personal dream nearly a decade in the making. I had long considered writing a book about the Great Lakes. The conquest of the lakes by invasive species provided the motivation I needed. My dream would have never come to fruition without the help and support of many friends, relatives, colleagues, and scientists. I am particularly indebted to the following people: Dave Dempsey, for persuading me to write this book; Julie Loehr, my editor at Michigan State University Press, for maintaining a sense of humor while shepherding this project from concept to reality; Peter Wege and his eponymous Wege Foundation, for their generous financial support; Paul Keep, my editor at the Muskegon Chronicle, who bent company rules so I could take an unpaid sabbatical to conduct research; my colleagues at the Chronicle, who graciously x A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S covered for me while I spent three months gallivanting around the Great Lakes; and the staff at the Duluth Seaway Port Authority, who allowed me to shadow an international trade delegation as it toured the massive shipping facilities in Duluth-Superior Harbor. I am deeply appreciative of the many scientists, civil servants, shipping-industry officials, anglers, and lake lovers who patiently educated me about Great Lakes ecosystems, the logistics of shipping, the complexities of invasion ecology, and the challenges of dealing with shipborne invasive species. On a personal level, I am forever indebted to my late mother, Judy Alexander, a child of these lakes who instilled in me a love of books; and my father, Ken Alexander, for showing me the value of hard work and calluses. I am especially grateful to my wife, Martha, for her friendship and for believing in me when I stopped believing in myself. Thank you, one and all, for helping me realize my dream of writing about these incomparable lakes. I hope this book does the Great Lakes justice. ...

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