Miscellaneous
In praise of failure
Failing is among life’s least pleasant experiences, but nothing else is as essential to success. Marisa Taylor | October 2008 issue J.K. Rowling delivers a commencement speech at Harvard about failure. College commencement speeches are meant to be inspiring, uplifting affairs that impart a Read More...
Adventures in learning
At Aventurijn, a small private school in the Netherlands, children decide what to study and how to study it. Ineke Noordhoff | October 2008 issue Fifteen-year-old Jurriaan de Vos doesn’t have to worry about his report card; his school doesn’t give grades. “There is a class schedule,” he Read More...
Childhood's end
Schools train children to remain children all their lives, John Taylor Gatto argues in his new book. There’s another way: Teach them to become leaders and adventurers. John Taylor Gatto | October 2008 issue I taught for 30 years in some of the worst schools in New York City, and in some Read More...
Broken homes
What the subprime crisis tells us about the importance of community financial institutions. Amy Domini | October 2008 issue Across the U.S., people are losing their homes. In just the month of July, more than a quarter-million American households received a foreclosure-related filing, Read More...
Built to last
Cement is a basic building block of economic growth. Its manufacture also produces twice as many CO2 emissions as aviation. How Bertrand Collomb and industry giant Lafarge are laying the foundations for sustainable cement. Peter Van Dijk | October 2008 issue Homes, offices, schools, hospitals, Read More...
On the road again
After a false start in the 1990s, electric cars are back - and it looks like they're here to stay. Diane Daniel | October 2008 issue I’m having no problem keeping up with Monday morning rush-hour traffic on Highway E18 heading west into Oslo, Norway, although I do wish I knew which exit I Read More...
Notes towards a Geneva convention for lovers
Some rules of engagement for those wounded in love. Paulo Coelho | October 2008 Read More...
Not just another pretty face
Audrey Hepburn and the secrets of inner beauty. David Servan-Schreiber | October 2008 issue Sometimes a particular phrase or image we stumble across online affects us deeply. I was moved recently by a slide show dedicated to movie star Audrey Hepburn, with quotes and pictures showing her in her Read More...
Putting out fires with lemons
Why is yogurt the best remedy when a chili pepper sets your tongue on fire? This was one of the questions Swedish product developer Mats Nilsson asked himself when he wanted to know more about flame retardants, the chemicals that for decades have been added to everything from furniture and Read More...
The hidden spirituality of men
The spiritual lives of men are, for many, concealed, repressed or forgotten. In an exclusive extract from his new book, Matthew Fox argues that men can rediscover their true selves by embracing the role of noble warrior. Matthew Fox | October 2008 issue I know of a renowned scientist who has a Read More...