This essay collection examines the cultural and personal world of girls and women at a time when their lives, their person, their realities, and their status are about to change forever. Together, the chapters cleverly create an in-depth study of the subject, and look at several cultural forms to offer a different approach to the popularly-held views of the bride. The critical essays in this edited collection are thematically driven and include global perspectives of the portrayals of the bride in the films, stage productions and pop-culture narratives from Nigeria; Kenya; Uganda; Tanzania; Spain; Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome; Tajikistan; India; Egypt; and the South-Eastern Indian Ocean Islands. This multinational approach provides insight into the intricacies, customs, practices, and life-styles surrounding the bride in various Eastern and Western cultures.

An expert recognized for his uncovering the hidden, and often secret meaning of words, Kevin Hall now shares his wisdom with us all. In Aspire he teaches readers to understand what words mean in their purest sense and unlock their importance as they develop a thoughtful new vocabulary.

As Stephen R. Covey so beautifully elucidates in his foreword, "this masterfully written book will help you understand that words have an inherent power, a force capable of lighting one′s paths and horizons. Used correctly and positively, words are the first building blocks for success and inner peace. Used incorrectly and negatively, they are capable of undermining even the best of intentions. This is true in business, in personal relationships, and every other walk of life."

By focusing on eleven words-one per chapter--Aspire shows how to use these words as building blocks for success and inner peace. The words, from the very familiar to the very unusual, will become touchstones in personal development and in business.

LOST CHANGE AND LOOSE COUSINS, the new book by Aaron Saylor & Strother Kevin Hall, is exactly what its title implies: an eclectic collection of short fiction and nonfiction pieces that combine into a wholly satisfying journey across genres. Aaron Saylor (author of the acclaimed Southern gangster novel SEWERVILLE) contributes most of the fiction here, ranging from amusing ("The Autobiography of Nobody," "Sewerville: the Lay of the Land") to melancholy ("The Sweet Smell of Pine Needles") to outright horror ("The Dead on Black River,""Apep, the Darkness"). Hall provides all of the nonfiction with a series of essays, some inspired from his childhood, some from just a few days ago. He also contributes some fiction, including the emotional "Nonsense," which weaves five interconnecting short stories into one larger tale. Note: the paperback version of LOST CHANGE AND LOOSE COUSINS includes the additional work "Philosopher Dog: Issue One," a fantasy comic-book script about a time-travelling yorkshire terrier.

With 'Mentor or Die', you will learn what it means to be a mentor, and how you can make a real difference in the life of a struggling child or youth. Inside these pages, you will discover how to become a potent positive force for good, and how some simple lessons learned early, can save your mentee from a life of pain, punishment and disappointment. This book will not only shape you into a powerful mentor, it will also help you attain fulfillment in your own life. By teaching and sharing-you can impart the wisdom that will help your mentee survive and thrive in a modern world. Learn exactly how to become a mentor in this easy yet comprehensive step-by-step guide. When you buy this book, we donate a percentage of the sale to mentees who have excelled in mentoring programs around America-overcoming adversity and becoming pillars in their communities