My first publishing mentor was David Heap, Managing Director of Heinemann Educational Books, for whom I worked as an editor. David overflowed with enthusiasm for high-quality books, was totally up with the play of educational publishing at the time, and used to literally pull the boxes apart when advance copies of new books came in from the printers. Strangely, I have since worked alongside publishing executives who were almost indifferent to books that had taken months to create and that they had every reason to be proud of: David was the exact opposite -- inspired and inspiring, avid for new ideas and material, and passionate about the fate of Heinemann books. None of them was fiction, of course -- except for some 'easy readers', classics with English tailored to different reading levels. But I've never forgotten David's excitement of conceiving good books and bringing them into the world, and it has stayed with me during my publishing lifetime, on both sides of the desk, whether the new book happens to be fiction or non-fiction.