So, you’ve been asked to give a speech or maybe you’ve volunteered (brave choice!), and now, the thought of standing in front of a crowd has you Googling things like, “How to survive public speaking without fainting”. Let me guess: you’ve pictured the worst, shaky hands, dry throat, forgetting your lines, and, of course, the classic “everyone staring at me like I’m some sort of science experiment.”Before you panic and consider faking an illness to get out of it, take a deep breath....

You wake up and feel it, the weight of the day ahead. It's not just the physical or emotional challenges; it's the question that sneaks in during quiet moments: Why me?If you've ever asked that question, welcome to the club. We're not a sad club. No, we're the fire-walkers. We're the ones who wake up every morning and choose faith, even when life doesn't feel fair.And let me tell you something: you are not less. You are not forgotten. You are not a mistake. You are seen, lo...

The Chicago Food Encyclopedia is a far-ranging portrait of an American culinary paradise. Hundreds of entries deliver all of the visionary restauranteurs, Michelin superstars, beloved haunts, and food companies of today and yesterday. More than 100 sumptuous images include thirty full-color photographs that transport readers to dining rooms and food stands across the city. Throughout, a roster of writers, scholars, and industry experts pays tribute to an expansive--and still expanding--foo...

Policing Criminality and Insurgency in Africa: Perspectives on the Changing Wave of Law Enforcement provides critical insights into the trends and patterns of crime and insurgency in contemporary African society. In Africa criminals and insurgents are becoming more resourceful, smart, and connected, as criminal syndicates are increasingly deploying modern technologies to commit crimes in ways and manners that are profoundly daring, and on a transnational and global scale. Meanwhile, the ca...

A short story about love, family, and a woman who lived for a very long time. Mama Ritas pumpkins as it turns out, were not really pumpkins at all, but far more precious. This story shares the love of family, and even introduces a bit of math for those learning to count by ten.