WELCOME TO DUNDER MIFFLIN

Why is The Office different? How did we make a show that has a larger and more loyal following today than it did when we first created it?

That's the question we set out to answer in this book, which grew out of hundreds of hours of interviews. I asked everybody involved in making the show -- the cast, the writers, the directors and film crew, producers, casting agents, and makeup, and our fearless leader, Greg Daniels -- to weigh in on this riddle.

What you're about to read in Welcome to Dunder Mifflin isn't just a behind-the-scenes account of how The Office was created, although it's certainly that too. Yes, we're going to show you how the sausage gets made, and unlike a sausage factory, our process was a lot more fun (and considerably less gross, chili aside). Michael Scott used to insist that Dunder Mifflin was like a family. Well, it's debatable whether any of his employees agreed with that sentiment, but what is most certainly true is that the cast and crew of The Office were family, and we still feel that way about each other.

When I started work on this oral history, I thought of it as a true crime podcast. There weren't any dead bodies, I can promise. But the mystery was just as compelling. How did we get here? What did The Office do right? Could we find the clues, retrace our steps and figure out how we stumbled onto a formula that resonates stronger today than it ever did?

I have some theories. And it turns out, many of my old Office mates do, too. And, oh boy it was fun to explore these questions with them. This book aims to capture that joy, as we relive the collective experiences we had in the context of these questions and the show's popularity today. On set for the pilot. Our terrible ratings in the beginning. That first Golden Globe Awards. Our first Emmy's. Our multiple all-night shoots for "Booze Cruise." Steve leaving. Jim and Pam's wedding. Our finale together after 10 years.