Monthly Archives: September 2011

Generosity and empathy

Posted on September 30, 2011 by

David Brooks wrote a powerful column on Friday, a mini-diatribe against empathy.  Apparently, empathy education is all the rage, the premise being that exposure to others’ difficult situations will lead to more right and moral action. The catch, says Brooks, … Continue reading →

Posted in Generosity | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Small talk

Posted on September 29, 2011 by

Americans are famous for wanting to just “get down to business” in meetings.  Maybe a few minutes of chit-chat about the Yankees game or the weather, but otherwise, let’s get to the important stuff. The misconception is that the meeting … Continue reading →

Posted in Connection | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Generosity economy

Posted on September 28, 2011 by

In the ultimate world-colliding evening, last night I attended the graduation for the Class of 2011 Acumen Fund Fellows.  These 10 Fellows, selected from 700 applicants from more than 60 countries, are a humbling and inspiring assembly of talent, commitment, … Continue reading →

Posted in Generosity | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Say it out loud

Posted on September 27, 2011 by

That thing you dream of doing someday?  That thing that you’re working on already, even if you’re just teething on the idea?   Tell somebody about it. Tell somebody, even if in a whisper, about that future and what it will … Continue reading →

Posted in dreams | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

The Buy Read Paradox

Posted on September 21, 2011 by

I’m intrigued by the disconnect between the prestige and legitimacy afforded by being a “published author” and all the friction inherent in trying to spread your ideas by writing a book. Think about the dropoff from: The number of people … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogs | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

+ Audience

Posted on September 20, 2011 by

I started blogging three years ago.  This past Saturday, I was humbled (and thrilled!) to discover that my speech at NextGen:Charity was posted on the TED.com homepage – part of their “best of the web” series.  (93,000 views and counting…!) … Continue reading →

Posted in TED Conference | Tagged , , , | 10 Comments

Synchronized parking

Posted on September 14, 2011 by

Walking down West 15th street at 8:50am the other day, I watched a big NYC street sweeping truck rumble down one side of the street.  That side of the street was clear of cars because of New York’s alternate-side parking … Continue reading →

Posted in Effort | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

The Six Stages of Kevin Kelly

Posted on September 13, 2011 by

Last week I encouraged readers to buy the End Malaria book.  When 62 great thinkers line up behind a cause and offer to share their ideas with you for free, PLUS you get to make a donation to end malaria…to … Continue reading →

Posted in #dominoZ | Tagged , , , , , | 9 Comments

20 dollars, 61 authors, fight malaria

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

It couldn’t be simpler: today is End Malaria Day.  A million people a year still die from malaria.  Bednets keep out mosquitoes and save lives.  You can help. So here’s the deal: for $20 (Kindle) or $25 (paperback) you can … Continue reading →

Posted in #dominoZ | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The generosity muscle

Posted on September 7, 2011 by

As we start to spread the word about Generosity Day 2012 (thanks to all who signed up to be part of the core group  – more coming soon!!), we’ve naturally gotten a lot of “why” questions – mostly from enthusiasts … Continue reading →

Posted in Generosity Day | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments