The famous, infamous, and (not-so) ordinary people in the news
Lars Sonne and father Thorkil play chess. Photo: New York Times
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The Autism AdvantageIn Denmark, Lars Sonne was diagnosed with autism at age three. As he grew older, his parents found that, among other qualities, Lars had very unique, prescient skills that few others possessed. And that's when his father, Thorkil, began to wonder: why couldn't these special skills be cultivated for constructive work - and in turn, bring fulfillment and self-esteem to those with autism?
This fascinating feature article in the New York Times magazine explains how Thorkil Sonne has developed a very unique company that focuses exclusively on carefully matching the skills, and then training, qualified people with autism - and the substantial benefits this provides to both employers and employees. |
Ishmael Beah Recounts his Childhood as a Boy SoldierIn the early 1990s, Sierra Leone was divided by civil war. Ishmael Beah was only 13-years-old in 1993 when he was taken into the Sierra Leone army, given drugs, an AK-47 and ordered to kill.
Beah had already lost his entire family to the war, and had been on the run for a year. In his memoir, Beah recalled that at that time in Sierra Leone, there were so many child soldiers that no one would trust him or take him in out of fear. “Between 12 and 13 I had lost my entire family which was my mother, father, and two brothers,” Beah said. “There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, so I found safety among the soldiers. At least I thought it was safety.” Read his remarkable story about what this life as a young soldier was like - and how he escaped, and created an entirely different life. |
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In Afghanistan, Roya Mahboob Connects Girls with ComputersRoya Mahboob, 25, is the CEO of her own technology company in Afghanistan, and recently installed computers in a high school for girls. In a country where the Taliban has outlawed phones, and where most girls don't attend high school, her success is all the more remarkable.
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Blogger Wu Heng, A Champion of Food Safety in China
As people in China become increasingly concerned about the safety of the food they eat, more and more of them are demanding that their government take action. One of the most prominent voices on that front is a young food safety blogger. His blog gets more than 5 million hits a month. It’s so popular that authorities are taking his advice.