Rare Coin, Rejected by 'Expert,' Sold for $3.1 Million

George Owen Walton was born on May 15, 1907, in Rocky Mount, Virginia. As an estate appraiser, he had first dibs on rare coins, guns, jewelry, stamps, ...

Geologist Finds Valuable Stone Under Land's Surface

In 2007, pro baseball pitcher Matt White had an aunt who had been struggling for years to make ends. When her health started to decline, she was forced ...

Celebrity Accessories Sold at Inflated Prices

In his book Fame Attack, Professor Christopher Rojek explores how we've turned celebrities into modern day idols. Rojek writes:

In the early days of ...

Man Spends Rare Coins at Face Value

In 2012, a 19-year-old man from Washington state named Dakoda Garren was charged with stealing a rare coin collection worth at least $100,000. After Garren ...

Research Shows That Cheaters Get a "Cheater's High"

Do you ever wonder why people cheat—or feel tempted to cheat—on expense reports, taxes, exams, and other endeavors? According to a series ...

The TV Show "Hoarders" Exposes Our Misplaced Affections

The TV show "Hoarders" features the true stories about people with compulsions so strong that they can't let go of their "stuff." ...

The Danger of Self-hatred

In his book All Over but the Shoutin,' Rick Bragg shares a brief story about a bird to show just how devastating self-hatred can be. He writes:

Once ...

How Billy Graham Treated a Student with Respect

When evangelist Billy Graham was in the prime of fame and influence, author Gordon MacDonald was an unknown student in seminary. Yet one day MacDonald ...

Little Boy Insists He Met President Lincoln

George Patten was an 8-year-old kid who told his friends he had shaken the hand of the new president. "Did not," they probably jeered. "Did ...

Woman Decides to "Live Otherwise" and Finds Healing

Muriel's childhood crippled her emotionally. She began visits to the hospital's psychiatric ward when she was in her teens. By her late forties, ...