Dr. Katrina Firlik was the first woman admitted into the neurosurgery residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her recent book, Another Day in the Frontal Lobe, provides a glimpse into the training of a brain surgeon. In one chapter she shares a story from the last year of her residency—a time when she was already becoming jaded to the tragedies of neurological devastation: ...

In the 19th century, Marie d'Agoult left her children to follow after the most famous pianist of her day, Hungarian composer and virtuoso Franz Liszt. After the ardor of her infatuation cooled and the reality of missing her children set in, Marie is said to have made this observation: "When one has smashed everything around oneself, one has also smashed oneself."

The winter of 2009 brought heavy snowfalls to Chicago, and at one point the snow had piled up over a foot deep on the roof of our two-story home. Then we had a thaw. One evening when I returned home from work, I noticed that a thick sheet of ice and snow was hanging over the edge of the roof like a glacier hanging over a cliff. Our driveway runs right alongside the house, and one of our cars was parked ...

In 1904 William Borden graduated from a Chicago high school. As heir to the Borden Dairy estate, he was already a millionaire. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave him a trip around the world. As the young man traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world's hurting people. Finally, Borden wrote home to say, "I'm going to give my life ...

Andy Roddick, the top-ranked men's tennis player in the U.S. in 2008, wrote about former top-ranked player Andre Agassi:

When I was 17-years-old, we were on a flight together. I was very nervous, but Andre was kind and encouraged me to ask him questions. When I asked about his biggest regret, I expected some answer related to our profession [tennis]. Instead he said it was not starting his charitable ...

I wish all of this never would have happened. I wish I would have torn the ticket up.

—Jewel Whittaker, the wife of the lottery winner who took home the richest undivided jackpot in U.S. history.

The Big Kahuna follows three sales representatives of a lubricant company as they attend a business conference in Wichita, Kansas. These salesmen prepare to host a reception in the hospitality suite of the hotel. Their sole purpose is to land a contract with the president (the Big Kahuna) of a large company. As it turns out, Bob, a young twenty-something born-again Christian on his first sales trip, ...

What will the Vatican give for the Pope's name? Rogers Cadenhead sought an answer. Upon the death of Pope John Paul II, this self-described "domain hoarder" registered www.Benedict XVI.com before the new Pope's name was announced. Cadenhead secured it before Rome knew they needed it.

The right domain name can prove lucrative. Another name, PopeBenedictXVI.com, surpassed $16,000 on eBay. Cadenhead, ...

In the movie Crimes and Misdemeanors Judah Rosenthal (Martin Landau) is an esteemed husband and father in a desperate situation because of his adultery.

Judah, an eye doctor, is in his clinic checking the ailing eyesight of a rabbi. With a strained expression on his face, he says, "I'm in such trouble, Ben. I need to talk to someone. We've known each other many years. You're a religious man. I'm not. ...

A Thousand Acres is the story of the long-term damaging effects of childhood sexual abuse upon two women, Ginny and Rose. When their aging father retires and leaves the family farm to his three daughters, a series of events leads to family conflicts and the release of pent-up resentment from the two abused daughters toward their father.

The scene begins with Ginny (Jessica Lange) in the hospital at ...