Furthermore: Where the Headlines Take You

Wisdom From Unlikely Sources

In trying times, good advice can be hard to come by, let alone the wisdom that will help prop us up through crisis after crisis. The NPR project This I Believe is a simple one: to engage listeners in a discussion of and to record the core beliefs of people from all walks of life. It's no surprise that this project harks back to what we think of as a simpler time; it's based on an earlier project of the same name from journalistic heavyweight Edward R. Murrow. Last week, the voice of a seven year old boy reading a list of thirty of his beliefs roused me from a gentle slumber. These were heavyweight beliefs, too. Not one of them was, "I believe that candy is the greatest invention created by mankind." Tarak read, "I believe we live best in a community," and "I believe people should not give up." With the wisdom of a small child still ringing in my ears, I went searching for more guidance:

With selections from Tupak Shakur, Public Enemy, Wu-Tang Clan and many, many more, The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop's Greatest Songs stands on the shoulders of giants to deliver its message of optimism. It's a motivational self-help book from a woman who admits to her own baggage. Felicia Pride weaves a personal story of how the greatest lyrics and stories in hip-hop worked to help her in her own life.

Who says you can't reach Nirvana in a darkened movie theater? In Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies, Buddhist and meditation educator Dean Sluyter enlightens us on some of the spiritual principles we can glean from the movies. The Graduate, The Godfather, and even Jaws have messages for us. This book should be a fun way to learn more about Buddhist sprirituality or to explore a different persective on a selection of classic films.

You know Sesame Street's Elmo has lessons to teach children, but what about to the man who acts and voices him? In his first book, Elmo puppeteer Kevin Clash tells us about My Life as a Furry Red Monster : What Being Elmo Has Taught Me about Life, Love and Laughing Out Loud. Each chapter is a life lesson: "Love", "Tolerance", "Cooperation", "Optimism". From his early days constructing puppets as a child, to his current dedication to entertaining and educating children, Clash tells his own story and the part playing Elmo has had in it.