"Three of these profiles in this edition appeared in modified form in the 1991 edition of this book. The Wheeler profile was done at the request of the Princeton Alumni Weekly and appeared in a much shortened version to what is in the book in the Princeton Alumni Weekly of October 9,1985, A profile of Besso appeared in a modified version in the New Yorker of February, 27.1989. I wrote the profile of Bell with the New Yorker in mind but they turned it down. I took this opportunity to rewrite it. Most of the rest of this book has never been published"--