It began as headache, and quickly overtook her with fever. She was confined to bed—too weak to speak and barely able to lift a finger. Then red bumps popped up on her mouth and tongue: telltale signs of the deadly disease sweeping the continent. She despaired for her life as the bumps swelled into sores…

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In his bestselling book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell draws attention to the “summer vacation achievement gap” a phenomenon explaining why the academic performance of low-income children tends to lag behind their peers. Studies have shown that students of all income levels make comparable progress during the school year. However, during the summer months, the academic development…

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The Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. houses the personal belongings Abraham Lincoln was carrying the night he was assassinated. Among them is a well-worn newspaper clipping lauding Lincoln’s achievements as president and describing him as, “One of the greatest statesmen of all time.” Now, President Lincoln was by no means an egomaniac. In fact, he…

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It’s hard to imagine a time when Samuel L. Jackson wasn’t an A -List celebrity, but twenty years  ago  he  was  a  frustrated,  little-known  actor  who  couldn’t  seem  to breakthrough. Despite his prodigious talents, as of his 41st birthday Jackson could claim nothing more notable than a few minor cameos. Intensely discouraged, he turned to…

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