Part 1: College personalities not so unique In college, I remember meeting many classmates who seemed unique. I couldn’t imagine anyone else like them. Thirty years later, I’ve seen people like each. Over and over as college classes turn over every four years. I’ve also seen them grow up to become like everyone else. There’s some variation, of course, but the differences aren’t that great. Part 2: My high school[…] Keep reading →

Several people from the audience said they liked the second part of this performance, saying it spoke to them, or something like that. I should be writing my next book, with the deadline for my first draft approaching, but I had the idea for these bits and couldn’t resist trying them. It’s funny that my first attempt, only a few months ago, took me months to prepare. This one I[…] Keep reading →

I’ll soon post my podcast interview with Jordan Harbinger, one of the world’s top podcasters. First I’m sharing this example of Jordan and how to learn to communicate authentically and genuinely—through practice and rehearsal. Think genuineness and authenticity matter in business? How about marriage? This recording features Jordan’s wife talking about how Jordan came off, when she knew he practiced, rehearsed, and taught others to. Practice and rehearsal work because[…] Keep reading →

You don’t get married and it’s done. You adopt a new mindset that it’s not just you and you live that way for the rest of your life. It’s always a part of your life, and you love the change. Having a child takes it to the next level. You take on more responsibility, and you love the change. The challenges never stop coming, never get easier, and never repeat,[…] Keep reading →

30 Years of Love in the Time of Cholera Love in the Time of Cholera appeared in English thirty years ago this month. Two years later — owing to a crush on a pretty British girl I took classes with in Paris, or more precisely her roommate, who volunteered at the English Language Library for the Blind — I read the book onto tape there. I suppose many blind English-speaking Parisians have heard my recounting.[…] Keep reading →

In this country, mentioning any deviation from capitalism flips people’s thoughts to communism and socialism. This black-and-white thinking explains why Reagan and Thatcher opposed Nelson Mandela fighting Apartheid, instead supporting a blatantly racist regime. In fact, they supported a party infused by supporters of Nazis. We throw the term Nazi around today to mean figuratively, but I mean literally. The creators of Apartheid included people who actively and violently supported[…] Keep reading →

I first fell in love in high school, 1987 or 1988—more than two-thirds of my life ago. It was on my mind a couple weeks ago, after I attended a panel discussion my friend invited me to. It turned out that I happened to know all the panelists, though not the host. Since I arrived late and sat in the back of the room, they didn’t know I was there,[…] Keep reading →