The Seventh Edition confronts continued and, indeed, increased instability. The new instability follows a relatively short lull after a period of unprecedented instability, including since 2001, increases in exemptions, reductions in rates, the repeal and restoration of the estate tax and the generation-skipping tax, the installation of a system of portability of the unused portion of the estate tax exemption of a predeceasing spouse, the advocacy by leading politicians of repeal of the taxes and, by others, of drastic increases in the taxes and the enactment of wealth taxes, and, probably most importantly, of a worldwide plague against which individuals, groups and even nations were unable to protect themselves.

Variations of techniques that have appeared in all prior editions of this book are the techniques of choice for the present environment. More than ever, flexibility is the hallmark.