Susan Prosser (coauthor) is the president and owner of DBHQ, a FileMaker Pro development firm. She started her career as a journalist, detoured through a few professional kitchens, classrooms, and more than one ski slope before circling back to computer-based employment. She’s focused her job wanderlust by learning what other people do for their daily work and then figuring out how to make FileMaker serve those widely varying sets of business intelligence. DBHQ works with USFWS, Wells Fargo, Banner Health Systems, and many small- to mid-sized companies to tame mountains of data for thousands of end users. Susan is the author of three technical briefs for FileMaker Inc. and is a repeat speaker at the annual FileMaker Developer’s Convention, on subjects like web publishing, charting, building dashboards, and creating good user experience.
Susan and her husband Paul are indulging a new-found passion for mid-century modern architecture, when they remember to stop working. Susan is very proud of completing a caffeine detox without injuring herself or the many innocent bystanders who crossed her path while the headaches receded. Her iPad detox is not going nearly as well. Send app recommendations or notes of encouragement/sympathy to susanprosser@gmail.com. Follow prosserDBHQ on Twitter.
Stuart Gripman (coauthor) is a native of Akron, Ohio, who grew up in suburban Orange County, California, before migrating to San Francisco to get out of the sun. After a two-year stint at FileMaker Inc., he went on to found Crooked Arm Consulting, providing custom FileMaker databases for a wide variety of clientele. His databases have since benefitted the US space program, fine art patrons, oenophiles, aspiring mixologists, architects, advertising firms, and a Grammy award-winning ensemble.
Now a senior developer for FullCity Consulting, he continues helping clients tame their data. And baking cookies whenever possible. Got a good chewy snickerdoodle recipe? Do share: stuart@fullcityconsulting.com.
Nan Barber (editor) is associate editor for the Missing Manual series. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and various electronic devices. Email: nanbarber@gmail.com.
Kara Ebrahim (production editor) lives, works, and plays in Cambridge, MA. She loves graphic design and all things outdoors. Email: kebrahim@oreilly.com.
Ilene Hoffman (technical reviewer) is an Apple product specialist and photographer. Her Hess Memorial Macworld Events List and its associated events are legendary. Ilene’s articles can be found in TUAW, MacNN.com, MyMac.com, TechRepublic, MacTech, MacFixit, TidBITs, NetGuide, IDG Online, and MacHome Journal. She has also contributed writing and technical review work to a number of Macintosh OS books. Web: http://ilenesmachine.net.
Jerry Robin (technical reviewer) is the owner of Transmography (formerly known as FMPtraining). He provides custom FileMaker development services, as well as private coaching for people developing their own FileMaker databases. He has been designing FileMaker databases since 1988, and is a Certified Developer in every version of FileMaker. In his free time, he performs standup comedy and wins medals in Dog Frisbee competitions (yes, really). Web: www.transmography.com.
Koji Takeuchi (technical reviewer) works at Splash, Inc. doing custom databases, server development, and FileMaker training. He is a FileMaker 7-12 Certified Developer and FileMaker Authorized Trainer. He heads the FileMaker Tokyo User Group and has spoken at every FileMaker Conference Japan since 2009. He won the FileMaker Excellence Award in 2006 and has led over 100 monthly FileMaker Event at Apple Store Ginza. Koji also enjoys playing acoustic guitar and playing 9-Ball.
Nan Reinhardt (proofreader) is not only a freelance copyeditor and proofreader, but she is also a multi-published romance novelist. Nan and her husband divide their time between a city home and a lake cottage (both in the Midwest), where they enjoy swimming, boating, and fishing.
Ron Strauss (indexer) specializes in the indexing of information technology publications of all kinds. Ron is also an accomplished classical violist and lives in Northern California with his wife and fellow indexer, Annie, and his miniature pinscher, Kanga. Email: rstrauss@mchsi.com.
It’s wonderful to work with the great folks at O’Reilly, especially Nan Barber, our long-suffering editor. Thanks for keeping your steady hand on this book’s tiller since its inception. Technical reviewing is tough, and it takes place in the slimmest of deadlines. Therefore, uncaught mistakes or unenlightened obsfucations are due to the march of time and not their skill. Any errors that remain are my own damn fault. Thank you to Ilene, Jerry, and Koji. Stuart, have you caught any fresh glimpses of the glamorous author’s life? If so, please spill. Conventional wisdom says not to hire your friends, but that’s just one of the clichés George Ziemann defies. There are no truer words in this book than these: I would not have finished without your help, George. You are an amazing assistant and will be as good a FileMaker developer in a scarily short while. Finally, thanks to my husband Paul, who puts up with much when I have a book on deck. We have things to do now.
—Susan Prosser
Prosser and Gripman are the only two names on the cover of this book, but so many people have been instrumental in bringing it to fruition. Nan Barber’s title may be editor, but she’s every bit as much our revered leader. It’s been my pleasure to work with Nan’s colleagues in the O’Reilly organization, too. Our technical editors Ilene Hoffman, Jerry Robin, and Koji Takeuchi spent countless hours poring over the details in every chapter to ensure that we’re imparting complete and accurate information. And without George Ziemann, one of the hardest working people I’ve ever met, this book literally would not have happened. You all have my sincere thanks and appreciation.
As much as I wish coauthoring with my friend Susan Prosser meant working in the same room, it’s hard to see how any work would get done between the laughter. Regardless of where we work, it’s an honor to have my name beside hers.
Thank you to FullCity Consulting and especially Kate Lee and Adam Aronson for letting me join in their reindeer games then granting me the flexibility to work on this edition of the book.
Huge appreciation to my dear wife and son who have (again) kindly put up with my absence on many nights and weekend afternoons. Thanks also to my parents whose support and encouragement help me daily.
Finally, I wish to dedicate my work in this book to a man who isn’t just a legend in the San Francisco arts community and one of the most interesting and engaging people I’ve had the pleasure to befriend. Tyson Underwood is also the most enthusiastic FileMaker fan I’ve ever known. It’s nearly impossible to get bogged down in the drudgery of mundane work with Tyson around to remind you just how amazing databases—and the whole world for that matter—really are. Thanks Tyson, for so many laughs, great stories, and deep thoughts.
—Stuart Gripman
Missing Manuals are witty, superbly written guides to computer products that don’t come with printed manuals (which is just about all of them). Each book features a handcrafted index.
Recent and upcoming titles include:
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For a full list of all Missing Manuals in print, go to www.missingmanuals.com/library.html.
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