Preface to the Fourth Edition

Anyone who purchased an earlier edition of The First Robot President will surely attest that it was beautifully designed. Tracy Atkins of The Book Makers designed the interior of the first and second editions, published in 2020, and set them in Times New Roman at my request. For the third edition, which I designed myself, I chose Baskerville Old Face; and for this edition, which I also designed, I selected Palatino Linotype. There is no other material difference between the third and fourth editions.

When I listened to the audiobook version of the novel, which was published in August 2021, I realized that Chapter 11, “Transition of Power” was too long; therefore, beginning with the third edition, I split it into three separate chapters, “Transition of Power,” “The Birth Lottery,” and “Geneva.” “Murphy’s Law,” formerly Chapter 12, is now Chapter 14. I made no material changes to the content of any of these chapters, nor did I do so elsewhere in the novel. However, I couldn’t resist the temptation to add another line of dialog to the exchange between Geraldine and the King of England in the first section of what is now Chapter 12. I also changed two references to Lockheed Martin in Chapter 8 to General Google Motors to be consistent with the storyline; and finally, I corrected a few remaining typographical errors that I overlooked in preparing the second edition.

I tip my hat to Mr. Atkins for laying the foundation of a beautifully designed book; and I hope that readers who, like me, enjoy owning the books they read will treasure it regardless of which edition they purchased.

Robert Carlyle Taylor