52 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2026 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Aging for Beginners: Insights and Strategies on Aging Gracefully Leroy Elder, independently published, 2026, $9.99/paperback, e-book available, 136 pages. This guide is for anyone seeking clarity, confidence, and peace of mind while navigating the natural journey of growing older. Through approachable insights and practical guidance, readers are invited to embrace each stage of life with grace rather than apprehension. Instead of viewing aging as decline, this book reframes it as a meaningful season of growth, resilience, and deeper connection. Growing older is inevitable, but this book reminds readers that aging well is a choice. Leroy Elder is the pen name for Alfred Vincent, a retired Foreign Service security officer who joined the State Department in 1985. He served as a security attaché in Ankara, Zambia, Bonn, Almaty, Yaoundé, Sarajevo, and Rangoon. His last assignment was as security inspector with the department’s Office of the Inspector General. He retired in 2011 and now lives in Durham, North Carolina. Keep Walking: How to Finish Hard Things When Motivation Fails Ogheneotsuko Notoma, Kindle Direct Publishing, 2026, $14.99/paperback, e-book available, 200 pages. From growing up in Nigeria to joining the U.S. military and working in the cybersecurity, diplomacy, and academic realms, Ogheneotsuko Notoma shares personal stories on how discipline, resilience, and consistency can turn ordinary effort into a lasting legacy. Built around the W.A.L.K. Framework—why you started, accountability to progress, legacy through consistency, keep walking—the book is both memoir and practical guide for anyone rebuilding momentum in adulthood. For those wondering if it is too late, Keep Walking offers a clear reminder: You do not need to sprint. You just need to keep walking. This is the second and final book in the author’s W.A.L.K. series. Ogheneotsuko Notoma joined the Foreign Service as a specialist in 2012. He has served in Colombo, Zagreb, Paris, Tokyo, Islamabad, and Frankfurt. And Still I Remain: 21 Faith-Filled Inspirations for When Life Falls Apart Bettina H. Zowe, independently published, 2026, $13.99/paperback, e-book available, 122 pages. For more than two decades, Bettina Zowe served with international NGOs and USAID, helping disaster-affected people navigate devastating crises. This was more than a job: It was her calling. Nothing prepared her for the emotional trauma, deep spiritual wounds, and financial turmoil that would ensue following the agency’s dismantling. This devotional is a spiritual lifeline for anyone experiencing personal loss or unexpected crisis, intended to help them reconnect with God, confront the voices that might be drowning out their purpose, and adopt intentional, daily habits to stay anchored through any storm. Bettina Zowe is the pen name of former USAID FSO Betty Kraus. She spent 10 years at the agency, first as a contractor. Her first post as an FSO was Abuja (2022–2024). At the time of the 2025 reductions in force, she was studying French in preparation for an onward assignment to Kinshasa. POTPOURRI Culturally Sensitive EvidenceBased Practice in Mental Health Marta Garrett, Richard M. Roberts, Allan Berg, eds., Cognella Academic Publishing, 2025, $54.95/paperback, e-book available, 442 pages. This book gives graduate students and current practitioners a foundation in evidence-based practice (EBP) by laying out the fundamentals of research consumption at the master’s level and production at the doctoral level. Emphasizing the practicality of several evidence-based therapies, it does a deep dive into how these therapies can be culturally friendly and implemented in various contexts beyond their Western origins. Case studies throughout the text offer real-world scenarios to demonstrate the application of these interventions. Co-editor Richard M. Roberts is a retired Foreign Service
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