Beethoven and the Gift of Silence

In 1801, at the age of 30, Ludwig van Beethoven complained about his diminishing hearing: “From a distance I do not hear the high notes of the instruments ...

Only After Sundown

In 2013, New York City narcotics agents announced an unusual indictment of five Brooklyn men. These types of indictments are, unfortunately, commonplace ...

The 18-Mile-Long Wire Hidden Above Manhattan

It's hard to imagine that anything literally hanging from utility poles across Manhattan could be considered "hidden." But throughout the ...

Escaping the Cult of Productivity

Nina Rudnick directs a non-profit that used to have her constantly immersed in her work. On a typical day, she’ll herd her 3-year-old son out of ...

Failing to Pause for Fuel

Author Lillian Guild tells an amusing story of an occasion when she and her husband were driving along and happened to notice a late-model Cadillac with ...

Why Your Brain Hates Slowpokes

Are you impatient with slowpokes and frustrated by waiting? If so, you will identify with what Chelsea Wald wrote in a recent article:

Not long ago I diagnosed ...

Famous Chef Shuts Down Restaurant to Stop and Reflect

Spanish chef Andoni Luis Aduriz is considered one of Spain's most influential and creative chefs and restaurateurs. His restaurant, Mugaritz, has ...

The Need for a Plimsoll Line on Our Calendars

One of the more memorable—and unique—illustrations about rest, involves a 19th century British politician named Samuel Plimsoll. The advent ...

A Peaceful Prison

We've all been there. Exhausted from the daily grind … Overwhelmed by expectations from work and family and social commitments … Needing ...

Your Whispering Spot

In 1956 environmentalist Sigurd Olson built a small cabin on the banks of a lake in northern Minnesota. The naming of lake homes is customary in the land ...