Novelist Barbara Kingsolver says, “Wisdom is like frequent-flyer miles and scar tissue; if it does accumulate, that happens by accident while you’re trying to do something else.” As a teacher of writing courses, she is inevitably asked by earnest 20-year-olds: “How do I improve my writing?”    Kingsolver’s advice? “Quit smoking, and observe posted speed […]

Research has found that by making changes to a school environment, such as providing nutrition education and parent outreach, the rate of childhood obesity can be significantly reduced. The study was conducted by the Temple University School of Medicine and The Food Trust, a nonprofit organization committed to ensuring everyone access to  affordable, nutritious food. […]

On the third Monday of January (Jan. 18 this year), the U.S. celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr. who was a champion of civil rights.  Many workers have the day off to commemorate his legacy and contribution to our society.   Þ    MLK, Jr. had 4 children: Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter and Bernice. Þ    […]

Humans have been flashing jewelry around for a long time. Seashell beads found in Algeria and Israel in the early 20th century were reexamined by researchers in 2006. According to a chemical and elemental analysis of them, they were worn 100,000 to 135,000 years ago—25,000 years earlier than researchers previously believed. The findings were first […]

Worrying can be a productive way to stave off problems, but for many people, worrying about things can become more vexing than the original problem they were grappling with. Robert L. Leahy, director of The American Institute for Cognitive Therapy, recommends asking these two questions to keep worry in its proper place:   1.  Is […]

When J. K. Rowling, author of the phenomenally successful Harry Potter series, had been out of college for seven years, she found herself at a dark juncture in her life. At that time, she says, she had failed in life on an epic scale. “An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded. I was jobless, a lone […]