Question: How would I go about adding the "A short preface" section? 
I know `\section*{0.0 A Short Preface}` would probably be fine, but TeX is awesome and there has to be a better way.

This is sort of what I'm looking for (done in Google Docs):

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5bqVg.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/5bqVg.png)

Thanks!

Answer: 
At its simplest, setting the section counter to `-1` will cause the next section to be `0`.

```
\documentclass{book}
\begin{document}
\setcounter{section}{-1}
\section{text}
\end{document}

```

To change the appearance of sectioning, for example to add the subsection number by default, one needs to redefine `\thesection`, as well.

```
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{lipsum}
\renewcommand\thesection{\arabic{section}.\arabic{subsection}}
\begin{document}
\setcounter{section}{-1}
\section{A Short Preface}
\lipsum[1]
\section{Introduction}
\lipsum[2]
\end{document}

```

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SKOE2.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/SKOE2.jpg)
Edit: Update with [xassoccnt v.0.8](https://www.dropbox.com/s/9r9jf1b94kjnzxk/xassoccnt.0.8.tar.gz?dl=0) -- usage of cascaded suspension of counters, i.e. all counters in a counter reset list will be suspended:

```
\documentclass{book}

\usepackage{xassoccnt}
\usepackage{blindtext}

\setcounter{secnumdepth}{4}
\begin{document}
\tableofcontents
\listoffigures
\listoftables

\CascadeSuspendCounters{chapter}
\chapter{The first chapter}
\section{Foo}

\begin{figure}

\caption{A foo figure}
\end{figure}

\begin{table}
\caption{A foo table}
\end{table}

\subsection{My First subsection}
\blindtext
\section{Foobar}
\subsection{Foobar subsection}
\blindtext
\subsubsection{Foobar Again}
\blindtext

\ResumeAllSuspendedCounters

\chapter{Another chapter}

\begin{figure}
\caption{Another figure}
\end{figure}

\SuspendCounters{chapter,section}

\chapter{Yet another chapter}

\section{Foo section in yet another chapter}

\begin{figure}
\caption{Another figure}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

```

Using `\SuspendCounters` from `xassoccnt` to hold counters fixed and resuming them later on. 

```
\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{xassoccnt}
\usepackage{blindtext}
\begin{document}

\SuspendCounters{section}
\SuspendCounters{subsection}
\section{Foo}
\subsection{My First subsection}
\blindtext
\ResumeSuspendedCounters{section}
\ResumeSuspendedCounters{subsection}
\section{Foobar}
\blindtext
\end{document}

```

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JoKaH.png)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/JoKaH.png)