Dr. SharonRounds,theeditorforthisserieswhoinvitedustowriteabookonrare lungdiseases,developedtheideaafterattendingthe2004Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM)Foundationannualresearchmeeting. Shewasakeynotespeakeratthatevent (duringhertenureasthepresidentoftheAmericanThoracicSociety)andwasw- nesstothepowerofpatientadvocacyandthemission-basedscienti ceffortthathad broughtthisrarediseaseofwomenfromobscuritytoclinicaltrialswithtargetedmol- ulartherapiesinunderadecade. Theprogressinpulmonaryalveolarproteinosis(PAP), pulmonaryalveolarmicrolithiasis(PAM),inheriteddisordersofsurfactantmetabolism, and pulmonary arterial hypertension, to name a few, has been no less astounding.