Everyday millions of people lose sight of their dreams when life's gut wrenching curve balls knock them off their feet and out of the game. With the grace of God, that was not the case for Lawayne Orlando Childrey, who has endured some of the most horrific trauma imaginable, including childhood sexual abuse, depression, a crack cocaine addiction and an HIV diagnosis. Childrey beat all the odds to become an award-winning and respected news journalist, a dream he has had since childhood. In his autobiography, Peeling Back the Layers, Childrey demonstrates his ability to persevere during times of immense struggle by relying on the faith that was instilled in him as a child.

Today, artists are engaged in investigation. They probe corruption, state violence, environmental destruction and repressive technologies. At the same time, fields not usually associated with aesthetics make powerful use of it. Journalists and legal professionals pore over open source videos and satellite imagery to undertake visual investigations. This combination of diverse fields is what the authors call "investigative aesthetics": mobilising sensibilities often associated with art, architecture and other such practices to find new ways of speaking truth to power. This book draws on theories of knowledge, ecology and technology, evaluates the methods of citizen counter-forensics, micro-history and art, and examines radical practices such as those of Wikileaks, Bellingcat, and Forensic Architecture. Investigative Aesthetics takes place in the studio and the laboratory, the courtroom and the gallery, online and in the streets, as it strives towards the construction of a new 'common sensing'. The book is an inspiring introduction to a new field that brings together investigation and aesthetics to change how we understand and confront power today. To Nour Abuzaid for your brilliance, perseverance, and unshaken belief in the liberation of Palestine.

As a child, I was sexually and emotionally abused by my grandmother and an uncle. I had repressed the memories, but I always inexplicably felt there was something wrong with me. One evening, seemingly out of nowhere, I had my first memory of sexual abuse, and a disturbing experience I later learned to be body memory, a physiological response that accompanies the recall of traumatic experiences. I tried to suppress them, and punished myself physically and emotionally because of these memories for years. It led me on a journey of self-discovery, filled with pain, fear and setbacks. Now, after working hard on dealing with my past and understanding it, I'm focusing on continuing to heal and build a stronger, more satisfying life. I tell my story because there are survivors of abuse who carry secrets-secrets that ruin their lives. The survivors need to learn they are not responsible. They'll overcome the denial, self-loathing and self-abuse that motivates negative behaviors.

What if the worst thing that has happened to you was meant for more than just...pain? While being a private investigator has its own set of issues, loss can cloud your judgment without you even realizing it. Just when I thought I could move forward from the past, the blackouts from my childhood return. Needing something to focus on, I strive to put all my efforts, reluctantly into my new case. Which happens to be a church; the one place I swore off years ago. My original aim is to just suppress my feelings like I usually do. But as this case unfolds, I'm finding my old methods just won't work this time. While peeling back the layers of my investigation, I find that God is doing the same in me. Well, here goes nothing.