The Importance of Bedtime Stories
A good story doesn't cost a penny, but it can be more memorable than a pricey toy. A ritual of sharing stories between a parent and child can create a bond that lingers for a lifetime, said Jay O'Callahan of Massachusetts, a nationally known storyteller who got his start telling made-up tales to his kids. "It's a real gift," he said. "The simplest, loveliest gift of time, attention and imagination... posted on Jul 9, 1593 reads

Dare To Care
"It's Saturday night in the Paris métro. Two friends, Etienne and Sophie, are on their way to dinner. After sitting down in the crowded train, they discover the body of a homeless man curled up at their feet. How did he get there? How long has he been lying there? Is he dead? They look around: Everyone avoids looking at the body. Nobody has any idea how to handle this situation. Etienne and S... posted on Jul 25, 4413 reads

The New French Revolution
About a dozen people pedaled bicycles up the Champs-Elysees on Sunday as onlookers cheered. These were not the leading riders of the Tour de France racing toward the finish line, but American tourists testing this city’s new communal bike program. More than 10,600 of the hefty gray bicycles became available for modest rental prices on Sunday at 750 self-service docking stations that provide ac... posted on Jul 19, 1961 reads

The Barber Who Loved Books
Fueled by a lifelong love of literature -- which began as a child when he sneaked a pre-dawn peek at his neighbor's newspaper –- Rueben Martinez decided it would be his mission to raise the literacy rate among Hispanics. He got the idea to open a bookstore inside his barbershop in 1993, after customers repeatedly borrowed his collection of 200 books. The store took on a life of its own, expandin... posted on Jul 23, 1556 reads

The Work Of Half The Sky
Like thousands of parents who adopt children from China every year Jenny Bowen left the country haunted -- thinking about all the young girls left behind in the overcrowded orphanages. With help from like-minded adoptive parents, Bowen formed Half the Sky Foundation. Named after the Chinese adage, "Women hold up half the sky," the Berkeley- based group of volunteers now numbers in the thousands na... posted on Jul 22, 1687 reads

What Foundations Learn From Failure
Among the reports on a coffee table in the Carnegie Corporation’s reception area is one on the foundation’s efforts to help Zimbabwe overhaul its Constitution and government. It gets straight to the point: “This is the anatomy of a grant that failed.” Just a few years ago, it would have been astonishing for a foundation, particularly one as traditional as Carnegie, to publicize a failure. ... posted on Jul 27, 2117 reads

The Year Without Toilet Paper
Welcome to Walden Pond, Fifth Avenue style. Colin Beavan, 43, a writer of historical nonfiction, and Michelle Conlin, 39, a senior writer at Business Week, are four months into a yearlong lifestyle experiment they call No Impact. Its rules are evolving, as Mr. Beavan will tell you, but to date include eating only food (organically) grown within a 250-mile radius of Manhattan; (mostly) no shopping ... posted on Aug 4, 3054 reads

Neurosurgeon Gives $20 Million for Village
He was born into the "untouchable" caste in India, so poor that he didn't wear his first pair of shoes until he went to medical school. Then he came to America, where he made millions as a New York neurosurgeon, once owning a Rolls-Royce, five Mercedes-Benzes and an airplane. But Kumar Bahuleyan felt empty. He reflected on his poverty-stricken background, seeing three siblings all die from drinkin... posted on Aug 3, 2892 reads

A Gardener's Gift
“A few casual remarks first brought the little city park to my attention. I’d meant to check it out, but now several weeks had passed and I still hadn’t made the trip over to San Francisco. The day I found it, after poring over a city map with a magnifying glass, the sky was overcast. My first glimpse into the park revealed a crowd of wooden sculptures integrated into the landscaping. Making... posted on Aug 10, 2510 reads

Your Stories Of The Good Life
What does the good life mean to you? Yes! magazine asked that same question to some of its readers and the responses they got covered everything from sharing food, helping neighbors, raising a child, honoring other religions, and being present with someone who is dying. This inspiring article is a compilation of real-life answers to this question.... posted on Aug 11, 2911 reads

Barrio De Paz: Peace Town
"Everything in society tells us to distrust others. I think it's the other way around. We need to profoundly trust in those around us, in their potential and in who they are," the grandmotherly Nelsa Curbelo Cora says. In 1999, she walked into the violence infested city of Guayaquil, Ecuador to BE peace. Through her grassroot work, today, Guayaquil's most dangerous gangs have disarmed, agreed to a... posted on Aug 19, 2067 reads

The Generosity of Birds
Why do we help out our relatives when one of them needs a buck or a meal, and who gains the most from such acts of generosity? A tough question, but there are hints of answers in birds. A just-published study reports new insights into the evolution of altruistic behavior. It suggests that sometimes the greatest beneficiaries are neither those giving or receiving alms, but those whose main job is t... posted on Aug 28, 2247 reads

Meaning of Ubuntu
In the African culture, ubuntu is a word that speaks to our interconnectedness and the responsibility to each other that flows from our connection. 'I am because we are, and since we are, therefore I am' is a good example of the 'self-in-community' foundation that gives rise to sayings in Zulu, such as umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu - 'It is through others that one attains selfhood.'... posted on Sep 3, 2995 reads

How Do We Understand Each Other?
Navigating the world’s linguistic babble has been one of the great feats of modern graphic design. Since early in the 20th century, when it became clear that visual signs could be used as detours around countless linguistic roadblocks, progressive designers have developed accessible graphic icons—mini-logos—to identify everything from restrooms to minefields. A little known fact about the p... posted on Sep 10, 1322 reads

Born Free Art School
He's walked the tightrope at a circus, worked the midnight shift in a silk factory, been part-time ragpicker and a fulltime beggar on the streets of Bangalore. A long CV for a 13-year-old but the past isn't what Nagaraj likes to talk about. Though he can still amaze you by sprinting across a parapet in true circus style, it's his skills with the brush that this blossoming artist is most keen to sh... posted on Sep 19, 2723 reads

Do You Realize?
"Do you realize that you have the most beautiful face? That we're floating in space? That happiness makes you cry?" So begins an unusual music video, shot with $3000, a plastic crown, a used video camera and a diverse handful of Los Angelans. Do You Realize? was released with no art work, no band, and no press release. Singer Gretchen Lieberum created this hauntingly beautiful, thought-provoking c... posted on Sep 22, 3605 reads

A 22,000 Mile Run
It is a strange sight to see: a woman running down a Pennsylvania’s Route 45 with a large cart in tow. 60-year-old Rosie Swale Pope has been running since she left her home in Wales nearly four years ago. Rosie, as she's called, is trying to raise awareness about the importance of being screened early for cancer. If you can save someone's life by reminding them to go for an early checkup that's... posted on Sep 26, 1868 reads

Golden Retriever Adopts Kitten
A stray kitten has found a new mother in a golden retriever, who began producing milk for the gray tabby after hearing its cries. The hungry kitten, found in an old tire at a concrete plant, refused to drink from a bottle and her rescuers feared she would die. That's when Honey, the family dog who hadn't given birth in 18 months, stepped in with her motherly instincts. “She started licking her a... posted on Oct 12, 5482 reads

A 4th Grader Gives A Dime
"In fourth grade we were suppose to bring in a dime for a folder to use in class. My parents were divorced and money was in short supply. Watching my mom fend off creditors, I did not have the nerve to ask her for a dime. When I got to school, I really wish I had asked my mother for the dime because everybody else in class had the dime ready on their desk for the teacher. I was embarrassed and fel... posted on Oct 29, 4847 reads

No E-mail Fridays
Scheduling a meeting? Send an e-mail. Need that report right away? Send an e-mail.The volume of e-mails has exploded in recent years with over 170 billion now being sent daily around the globe. That's two million every second. But many in business now worry this tool for easy communication is actually making it harder to communicate. Jay Ellison, executive vice president at U.S. Cellular decided ... posted on Oct 19, 3730 reads

The Good Morning Man
A man who stands in a busy downtown intersection holding out a handmade sign will usually provoke a singular reaction. And that reaction is no reaction -- as in: ignore, overlook ... get out of the way, I have to get to work. But neither motorists nor pedestrians could ignore the man in the pale blue shirt and bright white sneakers yesterday morning. He wasn't asking for anything. Instead he had s... posted on Oct 22, 3424 reads

Second Earth Found
Scientists have discovered a warm and rocky "second Earth" circling a star, a find they believe dramatically boosts the prospects that we are not alone. The planet is the most Earth-like ever spotted and is thought to have perfect conditions for water, an essential ingredient for life. Researchers detected the planet orbiting one of Earth's nearest stars, 20 light years away in the constellation ... posted on Oct 20, 3264 reads

New Thinking on Memory
Misplaced your keys—again? Can't remember the name of someone you met just 5 minutes ago? Brain researchers are on the case. Studies are uncovering how our mundane habits, what we eat, the pills we take, how we rest, and even our confidence levels have a big impact on our brain. New strategies to keep your brain agile include checking your iron intake, reducing multi-tasking, meditating regul... posted on Oct 24, 4770 reads

India's Humble Rickshaw Goes Solar
It's been touted as a solution to urban India's traffic woes, chronic pollution and fossil fuel dependence, as well as an escape from backbreaking human toil. A state-of-the-art, solar powered version of the humble cycle-rickshaw promises to deliver on all this and more. The "soleckshaw," unveiled this month in New Delhi, is a motorized cycle rickshaw that can be pedaled normally or run on a 36-v... posted on Oct 14, 3573 reads

New Strategy to Discourage Driving Drunk
Statistics show that about 13,000 people die each year in car crashes in which a driver was legally drunk. To counter that trend, Mothers Against Drunk Driving has announced a campaign to require offenders to install a device that tests drivers and shuts down the car if it detects alcohol. Last year New Mexico became the first to make them mandatory after a first offense, and the state saw an 11... posted on Oct 30, 2262 reads

Social Networking for India's Poor?
When Anirudh Krishna reported that many of India's poor remain in poverty not because there are no better jobs, but because they lack the connections to find them, a light bulb went off for Sean Blagsvedt. He said, "We need village LinkedIn!" and gave birth to Babajob. The best-known networking sites in the industry connect computer-savvy elites to one another. Babajob, by contrast, connects Ind... posted on Nov 17, 2145 reads

7 Cool Companies
Restraining corporate power requires changing the way we think about business. This means changing who owns, controls, and benefits from it. Profits, for instance, can flow to workers, consumers, or the community—not just to outside investors. And the vast range of businesses, from small community owned firms to state pension funds, succeed! As identified by Yes Magazine, what follows are seven... posted on Nov 3, 4557 reads

A 9 Year-Old Writes of Loss
Milly Bell, a nine year old girl from the UK has just published her first book. The child lost her father to cancer in May 2006. "My Daddy Is Dying" is a compilation of drawings and games she created to deal with her impending loss. In Milly's own words: "I wrote about the things I found difficult like going to sleep. I hope that my book helps other children and lets them know they are not alone."... posted on Nov 4, 3292 reads

Interviews with Passionate Professionals
A year after receiving his accounting degree, Brett Farmiloe already was tired of his 9-to-5 days stuffed inside a cubicle. He found his job boring, unrewarding and just plain miserable. So, the 22-year-old entrepreneur is trying to change that -- not only for himself, but also for millions of others. Farmiloe and three friends are about to embark on their second cross-country road trip to documen... posted on Nov 5, 3291 reads

Most Valuable Pollution Prevention Award
Every year IBM deposits 3 million semiconductor wafers, used in computers, into Earth-clogging landfills. This year, though, they have figured out a way to repurpose scrap silicon wafers from its chip manufacturing process to make solar panels! The solar panel industry faces a severe shortage of silicon, and this innovative process just might increase supply and make solar panels more affordable... posted on Nov 6, 1982 reads

Perils of Praise
"Praise junkie" may just be an expression, unless you pay attention to the recent research of Dr. Robert Cloninger. His studies show that young kids who have been praised too often, develop a chemical need for constant reward. "A person who grows up getting too frequent rewards will not have persistence, because they'll quit when the rewards disappear," Dr. Cloninger concludes. For a few decade... posted on Nov 23, 3536 reads

How A Bookstore Can Change Your Life
"One of the more romantic literary notions is that a book can change a person's life. Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Ford, for instance, claims Walker Percy's novel The Moviegoer made Ford the author he is today. If a book can change your life, a bookstore can utterly transform it. In my case, I found one, or perhaps it found me, at a critical juncture when I was turning my back on everything I had... posted on Nov 21, 3106 reads

StoryCorps: Tell Your Story
StoryCorps began with the idea that everyone has an important story to tell. And since 2003, this remarkable project has been collecting the stories of everyday Americans and preserving them for future generations. From more than ten thousand interviews, StoryCorps -- the largest oral history project in the nation's history -- presents a tapestry of American stories, told by the people who lived t... posted on Dec 10, 2803 reads

Sunlight Without Windows
A handful of buildings in California are beginning to try a new kind of indoor lighting: sunlight without windows! It's called Hybrid Solar Lighting -- half solar and half electric. During the day, sunlight pours out of the light fixture; at night, a conventional light bulb takes over. On the roof is a large dish that points at the sun and concentrates the sun into the end of the fiber bundle. T... posted on Dec 7, 2581 reads

Seven Questions on Giving Time
"In the moment when we spend money for others, there is the deep joy of expressing gratitude, of imagining the recipient's delight and of silently recognizing our interconnection. It's beautiful. Yet, it only lasts for that moment. Instead, when you give time and allow yourself space to experience the process, you witness a long series of those joyous moments. If spending money is generosity, ... posted on Dec 9, 4233 reads

The Mystery Muffin Giver
"What would it be this morning -- a warm Blueberry Lemon? Banana Nut? Cranberry Orange? Oatmeal Raisin? There is always a warm muffin or two tucked into a white napkin and placed next to the morning newspaper, waiting for me once I open my front door. Who is the Mystery Muffin Giver? I try to wake up early to see if I can catch him/her in the act, but so far I've been unsuccessful..." So begins t... posted on Dec 13, 2711 reads

Organic Inventiveness
A group of volunteers is cleaning oil from San Francisco's beaches using an unorthodox, albeit totally organic, method: human hair and mushrooms. Using mats made of hair, they are absorbing the droplets of oil that have washed ashore since a cargo ship rammed the base of a San Francisco Bay Bridge tower last week, spilling 58,000 gallons of fuel. Hair, which naturally absorbs oil from air and wate... posted on Dec 14, 2376 reads

The Salesman Who Sang Opera
He was an unlikely opera singer: by day Paul Potts sold cell phones in South Wales and confessed that summoning self-confidence was "always difficult." But Paul persevered. "My dream is to spend my life doing what I was born to do," he said simply. Watch him defy expectations on a June 2007 episode of "Britain's Got Talent" -- and in the course earn a standing ovation from an audience of over two ... posted on Dec 16, 2748 reads

2nd-Graders' Top 10 Lists for Letterman
Concerned about the Writer's Guild of America strike that is affecting several popular television shows, some talented and caring second-grade students in Dayton decided to offer writing assistance to David Letterman, who hosts a late night talk show on CBS. In the spirit of giving, the young people of St. Anthony Elementary school composed a list of the top 10 good things you can do to be kind to... posted on Dec 27, 4266 reads

Ordered to Eradicate Smallpox
A young man in his twenties, wishing to serve, gets a mandate from his teacher in a remote area of the Himalayas: "Remove smallpox from the planet." Dr. Larry Brilliant then embarks on repeated 17-hour bus rides to the United Nations. After a dozen fruitless trips, he finally gets his chance. And sure enough, he manages to lead a team of 150,000 health care workers to actually eradicate smallpox. ... posted on Jan 1, 1775 reads

The Power of Mindful Exercise
Simply by telling 44 hotel maids that what they did each day involved some serious exercise, the Harvard psychologist Ellen Langer and Alia J. Crum, a student, were apparently able to lower the women's blood pressure, take pounds off their bodies and improve their body-fat ratios. Self-awareness, it seems, was the women's elliptical trainer.... posted on Jan 4, 2786 reads

Drive-Through Customers Pay it Forward
A customer in a Florida drive-through pays the bill for the customer behind him, and the chain continues throughout the day. Interestingly enough, the first act of kindness started with a response to anger: someone behind Arthur Rosenfeld was yelling and honking at him, so Rosenfeld decided to pay for the man's coffee! This news video shares more of the story.... posted on Jan 6, 3941 reads

Zen & The Art of Television Watching
"I want you to watch TV with acute awareness, mindfulness, and precision. 1) Watch any TV show for 15 minutes without turning on the sound. 2) Watch any news program for 15 minutes without turning on the sound. 3) Watch television set for one half-hour with out turning it on." So begins this thought-provoking essay that sharply urges a change in the way we as individuals and as a society, watch TV... posted on Jan 9, 3936 reads

A New Kind of Office Heating
A Swedish company plans to harness the body heat generated by thousands of commuters scrambling to catch their trains at Stockholm's main railway station and use it for heating a nearby office building. It's believed the system can provide about 15 percent of the heating needed for a 13-storey building being built next to the Central Station in the Swedish capital. "It just came up at a coffee mee... posted on Jan 10, 2712 reads

100 Ideas For Peace
Creating world peace is no easy task and it continues to be one of the most significant challenges of our times. But there are several things each of us as individuals can do to help create a more peaceful world. "Be generous with your smiles." "Let someone else go first." These are just two examples from a list of 100 simple and inspiring ideas written by David Krieger, Founder President of the N... posted on Jan 12, 5193 reads

Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
Described as the commencement speech she would give if ever asked to deliver one, this charming, whimsical music video found its origins in a 1997 Chicago Tribune column by Mary Schmich. Two years later, Australian film director Baz Luhrmann (who would go on to direct the Academy Award-winning Moulin Rouge) set Schmich's musings, virtually word for word, to music. Rumored -- falsely -- to have bee... posted on Jan 18, 3781 reads

Earthships: Future-Proof Buildings
Imagine a home that heats itself, that provides its own water, and grows its own food. Imagine that it needs no expensive technology, that it recycles its own waste, that it has its own power source. And now imagine that it can be built anywhere, by anyone, out of the things society throws away. Thirty years ago, architect Michael Reynolds imagined just such a home - then set out to build it. Fro... posted on Jan 26, 3286 reads

The 7 Keys To Joy at Work
Ask bosses what makes employees happy at work, and many are likely to think in terms of tangible rewards: a good salary, a pleasant office, generous benefits. Those play a role in job satisfaction, of course. But increasingly, workplace specialists are discovering that for many workers, the "happiness factor" depends heavily on intangibles, such as respect, trust, and fairness. "Study after study ... posted on Jan 30, 9468 reads

Cell Phone That Reads to The Blind
If you have normal vision and can read, there are thousands of things you do every day without even thinking even about it, little problems you solve with just a glance -- like knowing which coffee bag in a hotel is caffeinated or decaf. James Gashel is blind, but he can distinguish the difference with help from his cell phone. "All you have to do is snap a picture of the bag, and it tells you," h... posted on Feb 7, 2987 reads

Empathy Lessons From Babies
It's just Nolan Winecka's second time teaching a class of fifth graders at Emerald Park Elementary School in this Seattle suburb, and it shows as he stares nervously at the two dozen kids surrounding him. Nolan is 6 months old and hasn't had any formal pedagogical training. But to the group that put him in the classroom, he has everything he needs to help teach children an unconventional subject. ... posted on Feb 14, 3676 reads