This book may have a single author, but it is at the same time very much a product of an institution, a culture, and lineage. It possesses its own genealogy. A number of events and decisions contributed to this final product in front of you, the reader. Doing justice to the full context of this book is impossible, but these next few words will nevertheless attempt this task. I would like to first and foremost thank my parents, Kostas and Pelagia, for imparting a critical and inquisitive attitude and an – at times – obsessive commitment to knowledge, and for raising me in a house filled with books and discussion. It would have been impossible to reach this point without their unwavering emotional and material support through the many years and struggles of doctoral study and early academic career. I would also like to thank my partner, companion, and wife Cora Lingling Xu, who showed me a better way of living and working, and who supported me through the process of finalising this book, suffering for every chapter and page as I did.