Michael Foley was born in Derry, Northern Ireland, but has lived most of his adult life in London, working for twenty-three years as a Lecturer in Information Technology at the University of Westminster before retiring in 2007 to concentrate on full-time writing. He has published critically-acclaimed poetry, novels and non-fiction, including New and Selected Poems (Blackstaff Press 2011). His first non-fiction book, The Age of Absurdity (Simon & Schuster 2010), was a bestseller and has been translated into seven languages.Ray V. Herren has been actively involved in agriculture for most of his life. He grew up on a diversified farm, where he played a major role in the production of… livestock. He obtained a bachelor of science degree in agricultural education from Auburn University, a master's degree in agribusiness education from Alabama A & M, and a doctorate in vocational education (with an emphasis in agricultural education) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Dr. Herren has taught at Virginia Tech, Oregon State University, and the University of Georgia in Athens, where he recently retired as head of the Department of Agriculture Leadership, Education, and Communication. In addition to being a national leader in the Future Farmers of America (FFA) Alumni organization, he has served on numerous committees from the local to international level, including a national task force to develop FFA programs for middle school and the National Committee for Career Development Events. His prolific scholarly activity includes 26 journal articles, 51 invited or refereed presentations, and 12 books and manuals. He has also earned several awards for his commitment to service, as well as UGA's prestigious College of Education Outstanding Teaching Award.