It's not an easy task to claim my authorship for this project considering the collective nature of its development. I have deep gratitude for Dan Schiller, who offered me not only invaluable intellectual advice during my graduate studies but also persistent encouragement throughout the years as I struggled with self-doubt. His words—humble, yet confident—always echo in my ears. Thanks to my friend and colleague Richard Maxwell, who kindly read the draft manuscript, offered feedback, and has been generous with his time during our weekly chats.
There are many friends I need to acknowledge for their academic support. Great thanks to my writing partners Morgan Ames, Megan Finn, and Lilly Irani, whose daily writing support was invaluable. In particular, thanks to Morgan Ames, who organized co-writing sessions for many years and never hesitated to give a hand to anyone who needed support of any kind. Her thorough and insightful comments and suggestions on my work have been invaluable. I've greatly benefited from her generosity.
In the same vein, Kyoko Sato, friend, neighbor, and academic colleague, helped me break out of my routines by brainstorming, sharing meals, and walking with me to Korean grocery stores in search of roasted rice and much-needed breaks for comfort food. Thanks to Matt Crain for being an intellectual comrade and for his much-needed critical scholarship in the field, and to Chris D'Arpa and Ellen Riordan for their unwavering friendship. On the other side of the Atlantic, my Turkish sister and loyal friend Burçe Celik always boosted my mood as she laughed at all my jokes and blindly praised the quality of my work even though she should have questioned it.
Many thanks to my San Diego comrades Anita Schiller, Jim Jacobs, and Mary Lou Locke for all the years of discussions and shared meals. Anita Schiller is no longer with us, but the hand-ripped New York Times articles she gave me are sprinkled throughout this work like delicious breadcrumbs. I know she would have been very happy to see this project come to completion. Susan Davis supported me through her delicious homemade biscotti and jams, which added sweetness during writing struggles. Indeed, I'm extremely fortunate to have as friends Nancy and Fred Jacobs, who always welcomed me into their family with smiles and love.
Many people were involved in the actual production of the book. I don't know all their names but at the University of Illinois Press I'm grateful to series editor Daniel Nasset for his patience and support and to Jane Zanichkowsky for the superb copyediting work that helped improve the project.
I don't have the capacity to express my gratitude to James Jacobs, the most important person in my life, who stopped me from quitting this project and academia many times and corrected many wrong prepositions, semicolons, Oxford commas, and more that I have never figured out after living in the United States for more than twenty-five years. There is no way I could have finished this book without his love, patience, and humor through the years. I wasn't able to accept his title suggestion, Unboxing Search, but I'm happy to relinquish the royalties from this book.
Finally, I credit this work to my parents, whose unconditional love and bravery allowed me to explore the world. Without them, I never would have questioned the world in which I live.