My list of 5 must-read books on STORY follow. But what are your (other) go-to titles? As a TED talk and story “expert,” I get asked regularly enough about my favorites. So I decided to share my TOP 5. That said, I actually do have a TOP 10 list. But…

…spearhead (?!) behind books a few days ago. It seems to have slid back and remained stuck between shelves for 50 years — if not a lifetime. It was likely a safari gift or keepsake of my late mother’s grandfather. Delos (my namesake great-grand) was an inveterate reader, traveler, and…

TEDx or better off TED? What’s the (real) difference? Today, there is no more a potent platform for spreading ideas than a TED stage. In the smartphone era, many believe one of the first steps on the pathway to thought leadership is not a book. Rather, a surer way is a successful TED Talk. …

Montana ranch life renews in the spring. Pastures green. Snowmelt sets the river roaring. Muskrats refresh nests. Fawns take unsteady steps. Yet through it all, our family has worried about a neighboring feathered family. Last winter, 70-mph winds toppled the eagle nesting tree. The loss seemed like yet another of…

A quick catalyst to orient your week a bit more on reading, connecting, and reflecting (Feb. 20'21) — Here’s the latest edition of my weekly ‘zine, THINKER THURSDAYS, a short newsletter exploring one topic from three angles: 3 topical articles, 2 TED talks, and 1 original reflection piece. Something to think about… The challenges of empathy and the urge to “help” after a natural disaster are weighty. As…

What A Lost Eagle Nest Taught Me About Responsible Disaster Relief. 6 insights about post-disaster “aid” and helping hands. A massive, nesting tree toppled. Two bald eagles lost their home. That tree stood more than 100 years, the base widening to nearly four feet. We tromped to the spot. The nest was shattered; nothing recognizable in the jumble. For years, every…

7 insights gleaned from slowing down to hand-mill coffee beans while savoring memories of family history. — Odd family relics can be life-changing. They don’t have to be a painting or Tiffany Lamp. For example, my family treasures a humble coffee mill. It is an attic castoff I reclaimed years ago in our Old Kentucky Home. Timeless, the 19th-century technology cranks away like it was 1884. Eyes…

A quick catalyst to orient your week a bit more on reading, connecting, and reflecting (Feb. 4'21) — Here’s the latest edition of my weekly ‘zine, THINKER THURSDAYS, a short newsletter exploring one topic from three angles: 3 topical articles, 2 TED talks, and 1 original reflection piece. Something to think about… Embracing a slower, analog pace in the morning helps me create margin. Television off. Radio off…

6 analog ways to embrace a slower morning pace. — The morning cabin cold slows me a bit. But I stoop at the hearth, “stripping” newspaper into a nest. Kindling, a wood slab, a match — moments later flames are sucked up the century-old chimney. There’s a roaring crackle; the log interior warms. These Montana mornings remind me of my…