Life is a confrontation and celebration of concepts. An organized collection of concepts presents the worldview of a person. In no small way, we are known by the concepts we propose throughout our lifetimes. Concepts are evolutionary and systemic. They continually emerge, transform and inform human history from person to person, team to team and nation to nation. Who would have ever guessed that concepts were so potent? Welcome to a few of my concepts now combined and expressed in this collection of essays. — Ray Newkirk