Preface and Acknowledgments to the First Edition

      There is an old fable in which three penniless and hungry travelers come to a small town. Unsuccessful in finding work or even a handout, one concocts a novel plan. He goes to the middle of the village carrying three fist‐sized rocks and announces with great aplomb that he is planning to make his famous “stone soup.” The skeptical but curious villagers gather. Well of course he needed a kettle and some water. The inquisitive villagers wondered if that was all. “Yes,” he replied, “but it is better with a little garnish to improve the flavor.” One villager thought that he could spare some carrots, another some potatoes, and a third some meat. This continued with virtually everyone in the village contributing. The result of course was a wonderful soup and everyone enjoyed a fine meal, while experiencing an object lesson in cooperation.

      The story bears an ironic resemblance to the development of this text. The editor, like the plucky traveler, personally short on ability and resources but acutely aware of a need, enlisted the assistance of those who possessed both. Excellent reference texts were available on equine and small animal theriogenology, but a current bovine text was much needed. The goal was to produce a text that would service the needs of the veterinary student and bovine practitioner, as well as the graduate student and resident.

      While I would readily admit that this text could be improved with respect to the choices made vis‐à‐vis the organization of the book or the order of some chapters, I honestly do not believe that I could have done any better than the contributors selected. The authors of this text represent a wide array of specialties and educational and experiential backgrounds. I will forever be grateful for their assistance and immensely proud of their individual contributions. I would also like to acknowledge the efforts of my graduate assistant, Amanda Cain, who in addition to contributing a chapter, prepared the glossary of terms and index. Likewise, I would like to thank everyone at Wiley for their help. Erica Judisch, the commissioning editor, was so very helpful in guiding a novice through the early phases of this book. Susan Engelken, the managing editor for this book, was incredible to work with, always patient, always competently and quickly responding to any issue or concern. Dr Joe Phillips, the copy editor Wiley enlisted, deserves the credit for identifying errors that I missed and enhancing the readability of this text.

      Additionally, I would like to acknowledge on a personal level those who have been so important to me from the standpoint of my life and career. First of all I would thank my parents, Lewis and Barbara Hopper, who were always supportive of my goals and aspirations, and my family, wife Donna and children Tricia (her husband Caleb), McRae, and Molly, who I will always consider to be my greatest accomplishments. Also, as this goes to press I can announce a wonderful addition, a granddaughter by the name of Abigail Betty Butts.

      I would also be remiss to not use this opportunity to thank some of my professors and instructors at Auburn who were so influential to me professionally and important to me personally. First on this list would be Dr Robert Hudson, but also Drs Bob Carson, Howard Jones, Donald Walker, Ram Purohit, John Winkler, and Howard Kjar. Likewise, I need to thank my colleagues at Mississippi State who have both encouraged and tolerated me through this long process.

      I sincerely hope the reader finds this text useful.

      Starkville, Mississippi

      Richard M. Hopper