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On Navigating Stuckness ![](images/quickread.gif) Jonathan Harris spent much of his life creating small, beautiful things. Going from one project to the next wasn't always so lucid, and in this article, he recounts moments where it felt like he lost his flow -- and what he did about it. "We have these brief lives, and our only real choice is how we will fill them. Your attention is precious. Don't squander it. Don't throw it away. Don't let compa... posted on Mar 08 2014, 35,980 reads
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A 25-Year-Old's Stunning Talk On Selfless Service ![](images/quickread.gif) Nipun Mehta gave his first public talk at a monastery. He was 25 years old and the subject was "The Spirit of Service" At the time Nipun was just a few years into running ServiceSpace, a non-profit whose global projects now touch millions and are designed to spark generosity and inner transformation. In this debut talk Nipun dives into the core of what selfless service is about. With compelling cl... posted on Mar 07 2014, 46,445 reads
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La Vida Robot ![](images/quickread.gif) In a second-floor windowless room on the rundown Carl Hayden Community High School campus, four students huddle around an odd, 3-foot-tall frame constructed of PVC pipe. At the top sits a black, waterproof briefcase containing a nest of hacked processors, minuscule fans, and LEDs. It's a cheap but astoundingly functional underwater robot capable of recording sonar pings and retrieving objects 50 f... posted on Mar 06 2014, 5,877 reads
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The Work of Local Culture ![](images/quickread.gif) According to Wendell Berry, a human community must exert a sort of centripetal force, holding local soil and local memory in place. It has no work more important than this. This beautiful essay invites you to take a walk with Berry past an old family bucket and into a new view of human culture...... posted on Mar 04 2014, 22,107 reads
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How Stories Change the Brain ![](images/quickread.gif) Why are we so tuned in to stories? They can move us to tears, change our attitudes, opinions and behaviors, inspire us--and even change our brains, often for the better. Dr. Paul Zak's research shows us that we're practically hardwired to listen to emotionally engaging stories in order to transmit values and information between individuals and communities. An effective story -- one that captures a... posted on Mar 03 2014, 49,607 reads
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Politics & The Sharing Economy ![](images/quickread.gif) "Can the sharing economy movement address the root causes of the world’s converging crises? In recent years, the concept and practice of sharing resources is fast becoming a mainstream phenomenon across North America, Western Europe and other world regions. According to most general definitions that are widely available online, the sharing economy leverages information technology to empower... posted on Mar 02 2014, 11,682 reads
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Superheroes Lend A Hand In Children's Cancer Ward ![](images/quickread.gif) "Superheroes are lending a helping hand to a hospital in Brazil that takes care of kids fighting cancer. Batman, Superman, the Green Lantern and Wonder Woman are just some of the friendly faces taking on chemotherapy treatment alongside kids at the A.C. Camargo Cancer Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil."... posted on Mar 01 2014, 12,935 reads
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Moin Khan: A Man, A Motorcycle & A Mission ![](images/quickread.gif) Moin Khan was born and raised in Lahore but went to the United States to attend university. Frustrated with the way in which his home country was portrayed in the media, he decided to leave his comfort zone and embark on an epic journey back to Pakistan. For 18 month he lived on boiled rice and ketchup, held 3 jobs and worked 70 hrs a weeks to save up enough money to ride his motorcycle from San F... posted on Feb 28 2014, 3,154 reads
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The Power of Hesitation ![](images/quickread.gif) Whether lingering too long over the menu at a restaurant, or abrupt U-turns by politicians, flip-flopping does not have a good reputation. By contrast, quick, decisive responses are associated with competency. Steve Fleming, a cognitive neuroscientist, wonders whether the allure of decisiveness might be leading us astray. Perhaps, when faced with a novel scenario, there is a benefit from being slo... posted on Feb 27 2014, 7,451 reads
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The Real-life Courage of Harry Potter Fans ![](images/quickread.gif) When teacher, Andrew Slack, finally conceded to the pleadings of his students - he had no idea what he was getting into. They had been begging him to read the Harry Potter series -- an enchanting story about a teenage wizard who uses his magic to conquer the dark forces world. At first, Slack was mesmerized by the stories -- captivated by the notion that one boy could do so much good. And then on... posted on Feb 25 2014, 30,530 reads
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