The techniques described here grew out of my disenchantment with C++ when I needed object-oriented techniques to implement an interactive programming language and realized that I could not forge a portable implementation in C++. I turned to what I knew, ANSI-C, and I was perfectly able to do what I had to. I have shown this to a number of people in courses and workshops and others have used the methods to get their jobs done. It would have stopped there as my footnote to a fad, if Brian Kernighan and my publishers, Hans-Joachim Niclas and John Wait, had not encouraged me to publish the notes (and in due course to reinvent it all once more). My thanks go to them and to all those who helped with and suffered through the evolution of this book. Last not least I thank my family — and no, object-orientation will not replace sliced bread.