I lost a dear friend today and the world lost a great author. Tom Clancy captivated millions of people around the world with the exploits of CIA agent Jack Ryan. He amazed us with his in-depth knowledge of military and intelligence matters. I became friends with Tom in 1988 shortly after he exploded onto the literary scene. I enjoyed all of his books, but had a special feeling for "Clear and Present Danger" because he says in the acknowledgement in the book that he got the idea from conversations we had. I will miss him and offer condolences to his family.