Miscellaneous
A new form of currency could help us in economic crisis
How a complementary currency helped save Switzerland from economic ruin in the 1940s—and could do the same for us today. Bernard Lietaerl | April 2009 issue The travails of the banking crisis have been front-page news for months, and the biggest bailout in human history is underway. However, the Read More...
Six recession-proof steps to becoming a natural entrepreneur
This economic crisis may be just the push you need to find the career of your dreams. Dave Pollard | April 2009 issue The economic news is the worst in at least a generation. What most people have done is cut personal spending, put off major purchases and try to pay off debts from the boom times. Read More...
Detached, but not indifferent
Thoughts on the Warrior of Light and renunciation. Paulo Coelho | April 2009 issue In any activity, we have to know what to expect, how to reach our objectives and what capacity we possess for the proposed task. The only people who can say they have renounced the fruit are those who, thus Read More...
Four steps to financial sanity
Four things President Obama could do to create a sense of social responsibility in the financial markets. Amy Domini | April 2009 issue Barack Obama has taken office at a critical time in U.S. history. We’re fighting two wars and facing what the new U.S. President and others have called the Read More...
Why investing in fast-food may be a good thing
Social entrepreneurs see the economic upheaval as a chance to go mainstream. Amy Domini | March 2009 issue My friends and colleagues know I've been an advocate of the Slow Food movement for many years. Founded in Italy 20 years ago, Slow Food celebrates harvests from small-scale family farms, Read More...
Had it with the heartburn? Try a Mediterranean diet
April 2009 issue When I was a young assistant professor in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, I often woke in the night with heartburn. I mentioned it to a few colleagues, who were surprised to hear I didn’t take an antacid every night—as they did—to prevent acid buildup in the stomach. At the Read More...
Why is repetition so interesting?
An aphorism by James Geary, author of The World in a Phrase and Geary's Guide to the World's Great Aphorists. James Geary | April 2009 issue It doesn’t quite make sense. Why is repetition so interesting? Variety delights even as it disperses, but the thrill of the familiar persists. It’s like Read More...
“Summer vacations cause disadvantaged children to fall behind”
Education outside the classroom, through summertime activities rooted in family life, can boost kids’ prospects for the future. Marco Visscher | April 2009 issue Karl Alexander, professor of sociology at John Hopkins University. Photo: Karl Alexander Karl Alexander, professor of sociology Read More...
Video: Taking a tour through Brazilian slums
Slum tours offer travelers an authentic, offbeat look at foreign cultures - and give locals a new way to make a living. These tours, which began in one of the most famous slums of Rio de Janeiro, are beginning to spread to other cities with famous slums, such as Mumbai, Nairobi, and Read More...
Andrew Tolve's eco-adventure journal
Andrew Tolve spends five days in Ecuador rafting, hiking, horse riding and biking with native guides to discover whether the practice of eco-adventure lives up to its promise. Ode Editors | April 2009 issue Day 1: White Water Rafting, Río Taochi We met our group just after sunup this Read More...