The Sun Also Rises

Outside the UN headquarters in New York City, stands a bronze sculpture of a man holding a hammer high in one hand, using it to beat a huge broadsword into the shape of a farming tool. The inscription reads: “We Shall Beat Swords Into Plowshares.” The UN says the sculpture symbolizes “man’s desire to put an end to war and convert the means of destruction into creative tools for the benefit of all...

Grit is more important to success than intelligence or talent. This episode discusses the new book "Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance" to show how you can develop grit in your life. It features an interview with the gritty new World Scrabble Champion, the story of how a young Benjamin Franklin went from a below average writer to a world-class one, and much more.

Today’s episode focuses on individuals and organizations that help people who are in need in remarkable ways. They take notice of others who are not doing well, and who are in over their heads, struggling and sinking deeper—and they reach out and give them a hand. From Paraguay to Australia to the United States, this episode looks for the helpers.

Calum MacLeod lived on the North side of the small, rocky island of Raasay, Scotland—miles away from the nearest road. One night his 12-year-old daughter became stuck in a blizzard as she was trying to walk up to their isolated settlement from the roads on the south of the island. Calum rescued her, but was furious and petitioned the government to build a road. The far-off bureaucracies refused. S...

What is it about superhero stories that makes people want to put on a brightly-colored leotard, and yell “Flame on!”? This episode shows that the fascination with superhero-type figures is not a new phenomenon. It has left a herculean footprint on just about every culture that has come and gone for thousands of years. We love these stories because people through the ages have wished to break free...

If you were among the few North Koreans who break free, and who escape the country, what would your next move be? Most escapees choose to settle into a new life in a new country, and they try to forget the nightmare they left behind. But other escapees do something more noble, and more giving. Their example provides us with a powerful analogy.

This episode tells riveting true stories about a category of heroes that don’t generally make their way into the headlines. Whether the enemy is Al-Qaeda or the vast expanse of the Gobi desert, theses librarian heroes prevail.

Young, older, oldest. We begin this episode with a story from the early childhood of host Jeremiah Jacques, in which a turtle assistance situation turns potentially tragic. From there, we discuss the teenage brain, and what the latest neuroscience has discovered about its weaknesses and strengths. Finally, there is some encouragement for people of all ages.

When the Nazis began massacring European Jews, an unlikely man defied his government in order to save as many of them as possible: Chiune Sugihara, the Japanese diplomat stationed in Eastern Europe. Mr. Sugihara’s bravery and altruism ended up saving the life of some 6,000 people. One of those was a 7-year-old boy who grew up to become Mr. Leo Melamed. Today, Mr. Melamed is regarded as the most im...

An ancient German proverb says, "A country can be judged by the quality of its proverbs." This episode puts that to the test. Host Jeremiah Jacques speaks with proverb-loving guests from three different nations in order to get a glimpse into the ancient wisdom of their countries of origin. Some of them may seem strange, but, as the old Welsh proverb states: "The common sayings of the multitude are...

For the first 27 years of his life, Ildefonso lived in isolation. No, he wasn’t locked in solitary confinement or stranded on a desert island. He was born totally deaf and never even learned that there was such a thing as language. He didn’t even know that sound existed. In this episode, we speak with Susan Schaller, whose patience, perseverance and resourcefulness freed Ildefonso from his dark an...

The Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 could have been hundreds of times worse if it had not been for the astounding sacrifice of three men. This episode tells their story. It also features an original poem by award-winning poet David Brandon, titled “The Chernobyl Three.”

This episode is about the art of bonsai, playing the accordion, learning Hebrew, taking up wildlife photography, writing your memoirs, ballroom dancing, and brewing the finest IPA microbrew this side of the Ganges. It’s about hobbies. Most of us don't have much unclaimed time in our schedules, but we do have some. And if we spend a portion of it working toward becoming excellent at productive hobb...

How do you join two sides of a divide? You build a bridge. In this episode, we examine Northeast India’s astounding living bridges that succeeded where traditional bridges all failed. We look at a bridge design that would prevent cultures from colliding in China. And we discuss an incredibly rare happening in the history of diplomatic efforts: a bridge that brought peace to a millennia-old conflic...

The week is foundational to the rhythm of human life. It influences dozens, maybe hundreds, of the decisions each of us makes every day. But where did it come from? And how did it become the universal backbeat of human activity? The truth about the mysterious origins of the week can help us better understand not just our calendars, but our world and our place in it.

People are small. Each one of us is only about a 17-billionth of one cubic mile big, and we live on a planet that is 260 billion cubic miles in volume. That’s a major disparity. But sometimes people—tiny, mortal, ordinary people—reshape the planet. This episode brings you three accounts of people who permanently altered Earth’s topography in significant ways.

One night in 1983, a computer screen in a secret bunker in Moscow suddenly showed an American nuclear missile screeching toward the Soviet Union. Was Armageddon about to begin, or was it just a false alarm? One man had to make a tough judgment call. This is his story.

We’ve all felt frustrated by how forgetful and unreliable our memories are. We work hard to learn new knowledge and skills, but then if we don’t regularly maintain it, we forget it all within a few months or years. It is frustrating, but we should not give up. Today’s episode discusses some mysterious stories that give us a glimpse into how astoundingly powerful the human memory is. They show that...

Not only was Alexander the Great’s reign predicted in the Old Testament long before he was born, but when Alexander visited Jerusalem during his rule, the high priest showed those prophecies to him: These Bible prophecies are about you, Alexander! At that point, prophecy and history intersected in a dramatic way. If you’re not familiar with this fascinating, yet seldom-discussed chapter of world h...

Being generous does not usually come naturally. Giving to others can be difficult. And it can be especially hard when you yourself do not have much. This week’s episode brings you three stories that put the spotlight on people who have given to others in inspiring ways—even though they themselves didn’t have a lot.

Need to travel the 20 miles from Gehlaur village to Gaya, India? All you need to do is take Dashrath Manjhi Road, which cuts straight through the steep, rocky hills. It wasn’t the government or a relief organization that built this road. It was one man, and he did it by hand. Host Jeremiah Jacques brings you this man's astounding story, a word on the power of daily effort, and a personal note abou...