Ambassador João Almino, Brazilian consul general in Chicago, is a writer and diplomat. He is married to Brazilian artist Bia Wouk, with whom he has two daughters, Leticia, who is 22, and Elisa, 18. Born in 1950, he is the author of The Brasília Quartet, which comprises the novels: Ideas on Where to Spend the End of the World, Samba-Enredo, The Five Seasons of Love (first published in Portuguese by Editora Record; published in Spanish by Alfaguara, México; Casa de las Americas 2003 Literary Award; in English by Host Publications, 2008) and The Book of Emotions (Editora Record, 2008). His works of political science and philosophy have been a reference source for the study of authoritarianism and democracy in Brazil. They include the following books: The Authoritarian Democrats, The Age of the Present, Secrecy and Information, Once Upon a Time a Constituent Assembly and Still Life: The Political Philosophy of Ecology. He obtained his Doctor degree in Paris under the direction of philosopher Claude Lefort. He taught at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM), at the University of Brasília (UnB), the Instituto Rio Branco, Berkeley and Stanford.