Grandmother Power: A Global Phenomenon
"All over the world grandmothers are forming activist groups to tackle intractable issues: poverty, illiteracy, environmental degradation, disease, injustice and violence. Never before have grandmothers campaigned so vigorously or universally to make the world a better place." Paola Gianturco spent three years interviewing and photographing 120 activist grandmothers across 15 countries on 5 contin... posted on Dec 13 2012, 0 reads

The Power of Failure, People & Karma Banking
Six months out of grad school Jim Fruchterman found himself at a rocket launchpad for one of the very first private enterprise rocket companies. "Our business manager was doing the countdown. 5-4-3-2-1, oh, BLEEP. The rocket blew up!" It was a pivotal failure in his trajectory. Fruchterman moved to the Bay Area and started his own rocket company. It failed. He helped start seven other high tech co... posted on Dec 12 2012, 15,083 reads

Trevor's Law: The Boy Who Did Not Give Up
At 13 Trevor Schaefer was diagnosed with brain cancer and the world as he knew it changed overnight. Not only did Trevor end up beating the cancer -- he found a calling. Now 22, Schaefer is an inspiring advocate for children with cancer, and the driving force behind "Trevor's Law." This bill now pending in Congress would increase government authority to determine if environmental toxins are respon... posted on Dec 11 2012, 13,138 reads

The Millionaire Janitor
Tyrone Curry won over $3.4 million dollars in the Washington State lottery 5 years ago and still spends his days sweeping the cafeteria floor at Evergreen High School. "I try to make sure it;s spotless and it's ready for the kids,' he says, with a smile on his face. After cleaning, he goes off to his second job -- coaching the track and field team. "Ten years ago, I said if I win some money, I'm g... posted on Dec 10 2012, 6,692 reads

The Elephant Whisperer
Lawrence Anthony, the acclaimed South African conservationist passed away this March. His funeral turned out to be as extraordinary as his life. Two herds of wild elephants traveling single-file through the bush turned up at his home after he died. Elephants are known for mourning their dead. During his lifetime Anthony had managed to enlist Africans wanted as war criminals to protect northern whi... posted on Dec 09 2012, 10,856 reads

The Benefits of Poetry for Professionals
"Wallace Stevens was one of America's greatest poets. The author of "The Emperor of Ice-Cream" and "The Idea of Order at Key West" was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1955 and offered a prestigious faculty position at Harvard University. Stevens turned it down. He didn't want to give up his position as Vice President of the Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company...I've written in the pas... posted on Dec 07 2012, 0 reads

Finding A Job When You Least Expect It
When one woman found herself struggling to make ends meet after being out of work for well over a year, she began an unusual practice to bolster her spirits through a difficult period: she began seeking out opportunities to perform small acts of kindness for strangers. This past November the ripple that ensued from one of her compassionate gestures, circled around to touch her life in an utterly u... posted on Dec 06 2012, 7,506 reads

What Motivates Philanthropists?
"From wartime child refugee to self-made multi-millionaire and philanthropist, Dame Stephanie Shirley's life has been more eventful than most. She arrived in London at the age of five, just weeks before the outbreak of World War II -- one of thousands of Jewish children fleeing the Nazis and coming to Britain as part of the Kindertransport --and was brought up by loving foster parents."I know very... posted on Dec 05 2012, 5,128 reads

A Friendship Forged From Forgiveness
"Azim Khamisa smiles when he spots a round-faced man with spectacles striding into a sun-dappled courtyard on the campus of San Diego State University. The two embrace. They're here to deliver an unusual talk, one that, over the years, they have presented to millions of students across the country. Minutes later, inside a warmly lit amphitheater, Khamisa takes the stage. "I'd like to introduce to ... posted on Dec 04 2012, 29,656 reads

Short On Time? Try Something Awe-Inspiring
"Always plugged in and constantly juggling tasks at work and at home, many of us feel like there aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things we need to do. But wouldn't it be awesome to feel like you had more time? In fact, a new study suggests that experiencing awe -- which psychologists define as the feeling we get when we come across something so strikingly vast in number, scope, or com... posted on Dec 03 2012, 14,401 reads