Natural Born Kidder

Back by popular demand, social critic Albert del Toral has risen above the blazing warm skies of Miami to put a smile (and maybe a few tears) back on everybody's face. Although he takes many breaks this time to bust out some of his funny poems - a lot moreso than in his politically-charged first outing "Home Sweet Home," anyway - the Cuban-American journalist does still tackle some social issues in the more serious pages of this new book. These latest commentaries range from the election of a minority president, the evils of slave labor and the failure of the U. S. school system to the plight of the American immigrant, alcoholism, gay rights and what it feels like to become an uncle for the first time.

For those who want to know more about the man behind the pen, he's a 25-year-old Florida International University alumnus. Four years ago, he graduated with a bachelor's of science degree and magna cum laude honors and soon thereafter worked as an online editor and freelance writer for publications that reached five continents in two different languages. When the economy started struggling, though, he made the decision to work only part-time as a journalist and take on a better paying position elsewhere. This choice led him to U. S. Probations, where he still works today.