Leveen, Steve: - Steve Leveen's writing life has mirrored his professional life-and they, in turn, have reflected his personal passions. He wrote his first book, The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life, in 2005, when he was CEO of the company he and his wife founded, Levenger. His vision shaped the company into a purveyor of products for reading and writing, and a specialty publisher (Levenger Press) of limited-edition books that have become collector's items. Steve wrote his second book, Holding Dear, when he was sensing a personal growth shift. A few years later, it blossomed into a fervent desire in midlife to become bilingual. And something more: to champion bilingualism as a path to a stronger and healthier America. He founded the America the Bilingual project as a way to invite other Americans to join him in this endeavor. And they don't have to be bilingual to be part of this growing community. And so he wrote his third book, America's Bilingual Century, published by America the Bilingual Press in 2021. Steve would like to share with his readers one of the many rewards he's found by adopting another language-Spanish-at this point in his life: Adults become aspiring bilinguals when they make long-term commitments to their own personal development. In adopting another language, they learn how to see the world differently, they gain empathy as they are forced to be somewhat childlike again in learning things they don't know, and they appreciate what other language learners confront. But once on their inner journey, they can step into their outer journey. They have the opportunity to serve and uplift new people and new communities beyond their first community. This is why I cherish being an emerging bilingual, and why I wrote 'America's Bilingual Century.'