ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Collaborating on a book about something as personal as a life story and the internal struggles involved in building a company requires a high degree of mutual respect and trust. Dori Jones Yang and I were fortunate to develop that early in the writing process, which proved to have lower lows and higher highs than we could have anticipated. What kept us centered during the two-year experience was a strong, shared belief that others could benefit from, and perhaps be inspired by, the stories and insights behind Starbucks’ success.

Dori and I both would like to thank the seventy individuals, inside and outside Starbucks, who agreed to be interviewed during the research for this book, as well as the fifty people who read and commented upon early drafts of the manuscript. Without their memories, stories, insights, and suggestions, this book could not have been nearly as lively or complete. In my office, Georgette Essad, Nancy Kent, and Christina Prather helped us in innumerable ways with this book over the course of two years.

Although many Starbucks partners are named in this book, many others who are not named here have made invaluable contributions to the company and have shown by example what it means to “pour your heart into it.” My thanks to them for their efforts and for their commitment.

We are also profoundly grateful to Joel Fishman of Bedford Book Works, our literary agent, who sprinkled stardust on this project and transformed it forever. And we’d like to express our appreciation to Rick Kot, our editor at Hyperion, who embodies the balance described in this book: meticulous and professional as an editor, sensitive and thoughtful in human relations.

Most important, I would like to express my deepest appreciation to Sheri, for being there every step of the way and for showing me the way to create the perfect balance in life between work and family.

And from the co-author, Dori Jones Yang:

In addition to the above, I would like to extend my personal thanks to my parents, William B. Jones and Margaretta H. Jones, who nurtured a love of writing in me at an early age; Bruce Nussbaum, my valued and trusted mentor; Lew Young and Steve Shepard, editors-in-chief of Business Week, who believed in me over fifteen years; Lynn Tonglao, who transcribed many of the interviews; Paul Yang, who lived through every stage of this book and provided vital sustenance and inspiration to “get it done”; Emily Yang, my confidante, helper, and beloved daughter; and Howard Schultz, who really is what he says he is.