Foreword<br >I have put it all down as I see it and as I know it. This is a subjective book<br >but it is also the result of more than twenty years in book publishing as a<br >writer， editor， book packager and agent.<br > Above all， I have tried to be honest with myself and I hope I have<br >not stepped on too many toes.<br > To quote my good friend and client， Howard Cosell， I have tried to<br >tell it "like it is"--I have not held back nor have I concerned myself with<br >the fact that some people may be upset by this book and others may not<br >be too thrilled.<br > This is not a book about publishing alone but a book about the<br >people in publishing for， in actuality， publishing is a people business. It is<br >filled with fascinating characters， brilliant entrepreneurs and more than<br >one person who is a little off the wall. That s what makes it so exciting.<br > This was my best shot about the business and I hope， if nothing else，<br > that the people who write， make and publish books come alive in these<br > pages.<br > BILL ADLER<br > New York City<br >