Final answer:
The preface offers background on clicker training with a dog and hints at how this method was experimented with on a track and field team, setting up the content of the book.
Step-by-step explanation:
The author of the preface provides background information on clicker training and an idea of what will be presented in the book. Specifically, the preface recounts the author's experience with training a yellow Labrador retriever named Spunky using a clicker. This method marked correct behavior with a sound instead of emotional praise or reprimand. The author then describes the initial setup for an experiment to apply this technique to coaching a track and field team, indicating that the results of this experiment will be discussed in the book.