The Guardian of Golden Gate
The Golden Gate Bridge is an iconic landmark of San Francisco, drawing millions of visitors each year. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most popular suicide destinations in the world. California Highway Patrol Sergeant, Kevin Briggs, has saved hundreds of people from jumping over the famous railings in his 26 years of patrolling the bridge through his compassion and dedication - a true everyda... posted on Mar 30 2013, 5,125 reads

Six Ways to Sustainable Happiness
"Sustainable happiness takes into account that happiness is interconnected with other people, other species, and the natural environment by a remarkable web of interdependence. This means that our daily actions and decisions contribute to -- or detract from -- our own well-being, and that of others. Sometimes things that make us happy may harm our community, ecosystems, or future generations. Sus... posted on Mar 29 2013, 41,275 reads

The Power of Thanks
In "Sidetracked" Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan," Francesca Gino, an associate professor at Harvard Business School, explores a range of fascinating subjects, including how emotions influence decisions and the often thorny matter of understanding the perspectives of others. Blending social science and real-world examples, Gino's book also highlights the science of... posted on Mar 28 2013, 9,739 reads

Mark Twain's Fan Mail
"Over the course of his prolific career, Twain received countless letters from his adoring readers and, occasionally, his critics. Two hundred of them, written according to the style of the era's wonderfully quaint epistolary etiquette, are collected in Dear Mark Twain: Letters from His Readers...His correspondents ranged from school children, businessmen, farmers, and political activists, to con ... posted on Mar 27 2013, 11,491 reads

The One Thing They Carried With Them
"If you had to quickly flee both your home and country, what one possession would you make sure you take with you? It's a question that reveals a lot about your life and values, and, unfortunately, is one that many people around the world actually have to answer. NYC-based photographer Brian Sokol has been working on a project supported by the UN Refugee Agency titled "The Most Important Thing." I... posted on Mar 26 2013, 33,385 reads

A Writer, a Plumber and a Plan to Save the Planet
"Aabid Surti is an odd character. A few years ago, the angular, bearded author was invited to meet the President of India to receive a national award for literature at a ceremony in the capital, New Delhi. He politely declined. Absorbed in writing the first draft of his new novel, he cited the reason that he did not have time. But what he has made time for every Sunday for seven years now, is goin... posted on Mar 25 2013, 14,202 reads

Write Therapy: Patient As Narrator
While illness is universal, many of us find it difficult to face its grim truths. But writers and celebrities like Susan Sontag, Christopher Reeve, and Michael J. Fox among others have tackled the subject head on through their writing. In the last 20 years, increasing numbers of patients have written crisis or illness memoirs that have far reaching ripple effects. While the writing itself can be c... posted on Mar 24 2013, 14,643 reads

Jessie's Joy Jars
Jessie Rees was diagnosed with an inoperable and incurable brain tumor at age 11. As part of an outpatient clinical trial, she was asked to undergo 30 days of radiation and chemotherapy. When she found out that some of the kids in the cancer ward did not get to go home everyday, she decided to do something to cheer them up and give them hope, and Jessie's Joy Jars was born. Before Jessie died a li... posted on Mar 23 2013, 6,971 reads

Who's On Your Fridge?
"His name, I later found out, was Marvin Moster. In the obvious ways, he was unremarkable. And yet, I couldn't help noticing him. He was older -- I guessed in his seventies -- and he was boxing with a trainer, punching in a rhythm they had obviously practiced before, ducking his head whenever the trainer threw a hook. Two things struck me: he was in excellent shape -- evidenced by his balance, his... posted on Mar 22 2013, 17,077 reads

Our Planet Through the Eyes of Children
"A competition launched by a National Geographic photographer titled Children's Eyes On Earth has drawn an astonishing number of striking images from children in 90 countries around the world. Over 4,000 photographs, on the themes I Love Nature and I Fear Pollution, were submitted by young people under the age of 17, from regions as diverse as the USA, Romania, Australia and Iran. The winning entr... posted on Mar 21 2013, 11,997 reads