Perfection, human perfection, is one of the rarest things on earth. The world of sports shows how rare, or short lived, perfection is for us. For example, last week (the week of July 20, 2009) as I walked out of the office and got into my car for my daily commute home, I turned on sports radio. The hosts were in the middle of an interview with White Sox ace Mark Buerhle, and they were excited. Soon ...

I was poor in math until I hit eighth grade. For some now unfathomable reason, I found it easier to cheat and get failing grades than study and get passing grades. My math teacher caught me cheating but never told my parents. He had the grace to help me see the difference between what I was becoming and what I could be. He came alongside with helps that appropriately addressed self-esteem, learning ...

A nation-wide Harris Poll of 1,010 U.S. adults indicates most people feel jobs that are heroic, helpful, or both, hold the most prestige. The occupations at the top of the list are:

• Firefighter (57 percent)
• Scientist (56 percent)
• Doctor (53 percent)
• Nurse (52 percent)
• Teacher (52 percent)

• Banker (15 percent)
• Accountant (15 percent)
• Actor (15 percent)

A fascinating study done by Professor Vicki Medvec reveals the relative importance of subjective attitudes over and above objective circumstances. Medvec studied Olympic medalists and discovered that bronze medalists were quantifiably happier than silver medalists. Here's why: Silver medalists tended to focus on how close they came to winning gold, so they weren't satisfied with silver; broze medalists ...

During the 2007-2008 NFL regular season, New England Patriots' quarterback Tom Brady set the record for most touchdown passes in a regular season, paving the way for his winning the MVP award. At the age of 30, he has already won three Super Bowls—an accomplishment that sets him apart as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game.

In 2005, Tom Brady was interviewed by 60 Minutes journalist ...

Isaiah Williams needed money—fast. Only 19, and about to become a father, he wanted to provide his child with everything he could. Williams heard about the Entrenuity Summer Business Camp, a faith-based program in the Chicago area created to teach African American and Latino high school students skills to operate their own businesses. …

Across the country in California, Opal Dillard was ...

When you try to go to another world, there is incredible danger.

In January of 1967, there was a launch pad test of Apollo 1, which was to be the first flight of a three-man Apollo capsule into Earth's orbit. Somewhere in the capsule's 31 miles of wiring, a wire had been stripped of its insulation. The bare wire happened to be near a cooling line, and there was a violent chemical reaction between the ...

When Alexandra Ochs, 21, walks across the graduation platform at Fort Hays State University to accept her diploma, the next person in line will be her 95-year-old grandmother. When Nola Ochs graduates, she will be the world's oldest college graduate. When her husband died in 1972, she began taking courses to pass the time, and in spring of 2007, her perseverance paid off.

When asked about the achievement, ...

In their fascinating book, Freakonomics, economists Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner point out that one of the first acts of parental power comes in the naming of a child. Many believe the name carries great significance. The case of the Lane brothers may argue differently.

Back in 1958, a baby boy was born into the Lane family. Robert—the father—chose to name the boy Winner. How could ...

Dr. George Moore was a young public health worker who was among the first westerners sent to Nepal in 1952. He found a nation that was very backward. There was only one hospital, and that was for the royalty. Life expectancy was 35 years. Ninety-eight percent of the population never had any medical treatment in their short lives—no doctors or medicine, ever.

Moore and his colleague began by attacking ...