I had lunch with John Stacks, my mentor, exemplar, confessor and friend during my years at Time magazine. I was delighted to see him, and to chew over the presidential campaign, the surprising delights of visiting the east of Italy, and how coop board critics are similar to Hamas. I am thrilled to say that he read The Coup in Italy, and he pronounced it `terrific.’ (He also seemed quite pleased that I worked his last name into the story.) His opinion matters to me enormously. I’m sure not a day passes at work when I do not emulate him in some way.