Acknowledgements
The shape of this book evolved gradually in the course of many years. During those years, a significant number of people contributed in one way or another to the ideas contained in the book. My doctoral thesis provided the initial impetus, even if in its final form, the book has little to do with the dissertation. I wish to thank my doctoral supervisor Jaakko Hämeen-Anttila for his generous support during and after my doctoral studies. I am grateful to the Kone Foundation and the Academy of Finland, which funded my work during parts of the doctoral and postdoctoral periods. I would like to thank the many colleagues at the University of Helsinki with whom I discussed subjects related to this book in seminars and other contexts, including Ilkka Lindstedt, Inka Nokso-Koivisto, Riikka Tuori, and Mikko Viitamäki. My visit at the University of Munich significantly influenced my thought and thus contributed to the bookâs evolution, and I am particularly grateful to Peter Adamson for his insightful advice and comments both during my stay and later. At the University of Jyväskylä, both during my postdoctoral appointment and on many later occasions, I benefitted from discussions with various people, particularly Jari Kaukua, Taneli Kukkonen, Juhana Toivanen, Miira Tuominen, and Timothy Riggs. I presented papers that turned into drafts of various chapters of this book in more seminars, workshops, and conferences than I can remember, in places such as Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Barcelona, Uppsala, Freising, Bern, and New York. I am grateful to the organizers of those events and the many participants that helped me with their comments. The remarks and observations of the anonymous reviewers provided by Brill significantly assisted the preparation of the bookâs final draft. Finally, I would like to thank my parents and Mika, Milla, and Otava for their help and support.