Chunky was an associate of and soldier for the notorious Mexican Mafia -- La Eme. That is, of course, until he was betrayed by those he was most loyal to. Then he vowed to become their worst enemy. Though they've attempted to kill him numerous times, he still to this day is running around making a mockery of their organization . . . This is the story of how it all began.

Loyalty and betrayal are among key concepts of the ethic of nationalism. Marriage of state and culture, which seems the essence of the congruence between political power structure and collective identity, usually offers a simple explanation of loyalty and dissent. Loyalty is seen as once-and-for-all commitment of the individual to his or her nation, whereas betrayal is identified as a failure to commit him or herself to a common cause or as a diversion from the object of political loyalty and cultural/linguistic fidelity. For conservative or radical nationalists, even social and cultural critique of one’s people and state can be regarded as treason, whereas for their liberal counterparts it is precisely what constitutes political awareness, civic virtue, and a conscious dedication to the people and culture. "This book is the first attempt to provide a discursive map of Lithuanian liberal and conservative nationalism. Analyzing the works and views of dissenters and critics of society and culture, we can reveal a mode of being of liberal nationalism as a social and cultural criticism. This volume is of interest for intellectual historians, social theorists, students of East-Central European thought, and anyone interested in Baltic studies and the new members of the EU. Dissent: act of betrayal, or loyalty? Leonidas Donskis' new remarkable study is one consistent, thorough and dedicated effort to provide an answer to that question." – Zygmunt Bauman (from the Preface)

Tainted Loyaltyis a fast moving tale of betrayal, back stabbing, and double crossing. Star, Crystal, Janice, and Tammy all grew up in Queens and rush headlong into the streets with their motto, ""S and S,"" set ‘em and stick ‘em. Things take a dark turn when Janice convinces Star to stick up a main dope spot owned by her brother. The brother uses his crew of killer agents to find the culprit, but one of the agents learns that Star was behind the robbery and he knows her brother will never believe him. To make matters worse, he begins to have feelings for Star. His feelings are one thing, but Star’s S and S crew of girls is a different story and each much pay for her tainted loyalty.

Russia’s attempt to consolidate its authority in the North Caucasus has exerted a terrible price on both sides since the mid-nineteenth century. Michael Khodarkovsky tells a concise and compelling history of the mountainous region between the Black and Caspian seas during the centuries of Russia’s long conquest (1500–1850s). The history of the region unfolds against the background of one man’s life story, Semën Atarshchikov (1807–1845). Torn between his Chechen identity and his duties as a lieutenant and translator in the Russian army, Atarshchikov defected, not once but twice, to join the mountaineers against the invading Russian troops. His was the experience more typical of Russia’s empire-building in the borderlands than the better known stories of the audacious kidnappers and valiant battles. It is a history of the North Caucasus as seen from both sides of the conflict, which continues to make this region Russia’s most violent and vulnerable frontier.

The story of Vietnam veteran, quality consultant, and musician John R. Black, who rose from his childhood on a rural homestead to serve his country in the United States Army, including two tours in Vietnam. After a subsequent career at Boeing, Black became a globally recognized quality and Lean production consultant, most notably transferring the proven techniques of manufacturing quality improvement to revolutionize healthcare in the United States, Canada, and internationally. With frank language and humor, he reveals the hidden stories behind his professional success, tracing his earliest influences-from the joys of a close-knit family to abuse by a Catholic priest-through his family life, his wartime experiences, his return to music as a means of healing Vietnam wounds, and his current focus as a performing artist with an international following of fellow Vietnam vets. Read an excerpt: An pilot who was a friend of mine was replaced by an Air Force captain who drank a fifth a night. His hands shook every morning, and one day that seemed to catch up with him. He went to the airfield for a flight over the province but forgot to gas up his plane, an L-19 Bird Dog. How could a trained Air Force pilot flying in Vietnam in 1967 forget to make sure his airplane was fueled before taking off on a mission? Well, the military had given Cessna a challenge: The plane had to be capable of taking off and landing over a 50-foot obstacle in less than 600 feet at its maximum allowable gross weight. The plane that resulted from these specs, Cessna's Model 305, became known as the L-19 Bird Dog. During the Vietnam War it was used mostly for reconnaissance, finding targets or adjusting artillery, escorting convoys, and providing forward air control for tactical aircraft such as bombers It would later be renamed the O-1, with the O standing for observation, until the Army officially retired it in 1974. The Bird Dog was aptly named. I flew a number of those flights over Go Cong province seated in the rear observation seat. If you were flying slowly over the province, it was easier for the passenger to search for and locate enemy ground positions. When we found the enemy- we hoped that was who it was, but in free-fire zones we usually knew who it was-the passenger would radio in that position to bring in artillery fire, for example. As a result, when the VC spotted a Bird Dog flying low overhead, they might expect that something might soon happen. The plane was vulnerable to ground fire, but the VC would not always take a shot because then they'd definitely be revealing their position. A Bird Dog passenger in another province who came into the country about the time I did took a round in his seat but was able to recover.Luckily I didn't get in that seat one early morning with this particular Air Force pilot, who was stone cold drunk. I said, "I'm getting out here and will take your picture as you take off." A movie clip of that takeoff would have shown a very brief taxi and takeoff but a great image of what followed. When he got to the end of the runway, the engine quit and the plane took a nosedive right into the swamp. I helped the pilot out of the cockpit, as I recall, and when he started to walk away, I said, "What are you doing?" "I'm going back to bed," he told me, and he walked back to the billets. When he woke up he was told he was relieved of duty as soon as his Seagram's hangover wore off

As Brent Cassity stood at the gate of Leavenworth prison to voluntarily surrender his freedom for the next five years of his life, a million thoughts flooded through his mind. But, the one thought he couldn't push away is this: How did the thing I most feared...the one thing I told myself would never happen...happen to me? Nightmare Success is for the person who has lost hope, to show that a second chance is possible. Brent shares survival tools that helped him adapt to prison that can be used in everyday life for those who are stuck and fearful of continuing to step forward. There are business lessons shared about how to build a national company, and minefields to avoid. Brent coined the phrase, "Nightmare Success" because everything you want is on the other side of fear. What key will unlock the prison of your mind and set you free?

Chunky was an associate of and soldier for the notorious Mexican Mafia -- La Eme. That is, of course, until he was betrayed by those he was most loyal to. Then he vowed to become their worst enemy. Though they've attempted to kill him numerous times, he still to this day is running around making a mockery of their organization. Loyalty & Betrayal: Special Deluxe Edition contains the original Loyalty & Betrayal book that started it all; "The Lost Chapters', which is the prequel to the original book; the brand-new release of Loyalty & Betrayal part 2; and an exclusive, never-before published interview of Armando "Chunky" Ibarra detailing what life has been like since the release of the highly controversial Loyalty & Betrayal story. You will never guess how this story ends. You do NOT want to miss this... Mike Enemigo's work is raw, authentic, and powerful. It's made all the more remarkable by the fact that Mike's books are written from inside a California prison. His work gives hope to incarcerated writers everywhere struggling to get their voices heard.- Kevin Deutsch, Award-winning True Crime Writer, Author of 'Pill City: How Two Honor Roll Students Foiled the Feds and Built a Drug Empire'. THE CELL BLOCK is an independent multimedia company with the objective of accurately conveying the prison/street experience and lifestyle with the credibility and honesty that only one who has lived it can deliver, through literature and other arts, and to entertain and enlighten while doing so. Everything published by The Cell Block has been created by a prisoner, while in a prison cell. MIKE ENEMIGO is the new prison/street art sensation who has already written and published several books. He is inspired by emotion; hope, pain; dreams and nightmares. He physically lives somewhere in a California prison cell where he works relentlessly creating his next piece. His mind and soul are elsewhere; seeing, studying, learning, and drawing inspiration to tear down suppressive walls and inspire the culture by pushing artistic boundaries.

The long-awaited new book on 'how Italy really works' from the bestselling writer on Italian culture. Forty years ago, Tim Parks made the bel paese his home. Italian Life is his reckoning with his adopted country, an attempt to get to the core of it, to make sense of it, to fold others' stories in with his own experience - now that he is, in his own words, 'to some degree Italian' himself. The result is an arresting, on-the-ground account of 21st century Italy told through the eyes of a rich cast of characters, among them students from poverty-stricken Basilicata trying to start new lives in the wealthy gloom of Milan, a priest, a poet, a young professor from Padua, and an Englishman who refuses to toe the line. At the book's centre is a story of corruption and power. But it is also a celebration of culture and history, fact and fable, sacred and secular, ancient and modern: a thought-provoking, surprising, entertaining and even definitive account of how Italy actually happens.

(LARGE PRINT EDITION) WRITTEN WITH HONESTY THAT STINGS The Me Too movement is a future construction in the gender-limiting, woman-invalidating and homophobic environment of the 80s and 90s. Within these social confines, seventeen-year-old Jessica runs away from her abusive home looking for security and camaraderie. She makes the cut and joins the United States Marine Corps, an elite military organization known to take care of their own. Determined to uphold the highest standards of the Marine Corps, Jessica becomes a star performer, surmounting rigorous physical training and tactical challenges. However, her military training doesn't prepare her for the overwhelming backlash. The chivalry of her male peers turns into ugly rivalry as she outperforms them. Jessica's do-or-die Marine Corps spirit keeps her hardened. She is determined to make the Marine Corps a career despite harassment, assault and dirty politics. Yet, the challenges of her journey become even steeper; sexual and gender identity bring Jessica to crossroads. She is reacquainted with her high school friend Jade, and realizes that being an outstanding Marine ultimately means betraying herself. The Marine Corps trained Jessica to kill the enemy. The enemy is surprisingly close.