Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Reader's Digest USA SEPT 2014
Reader's Digest USA SEPT 2014
Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states or all GEICO companies. GEICO is a registered
service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, D.C. 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. GEICO
Gecko image 1999-2014. 2014 GEICO.
The Genius Issue
SEPTEMBER 2014
GREAT MINDS
Everyday Heroes
8 HE DIDNT MISS A BEAT M E LO DY WA R N I C K
Big Idea
112 THE LATE-BLOOMER PHENOMENON
Even Czanne tapped into his talent in midlife.
MALCOLM GLA DWE LL FROM WHAT THE DOG SAW
Culture
120 WHY AMERICA LOVES A CON MAN
Savvy entrepreneurs have always sold people the same
thing: dreams. JA M E S S U R OW I E C K I F R O M T H E N E W YO R K E R
National Interest
124 3 MYTHS ABOUT THE WORLDS POOR
Bill and Melinda Gates give global good news.
F R O M T H E G AT E S FO U N DAT I O N 2 0 1 4 A N N UA L L E T T E R
The Genius Issue
A creative celebration
Department of Wit
13 25 Jokes (That Make You
Sound like a Genius)
A N DY SIM M ON S
Parenting
READER FAVORITES 98 The Revolution Will Not
Be Supervised
18 Life in These United States
How to raise creative kids.
23 You Be the Judge HA N N A R OSIN FROM THE ATLANTIC
26 100-Word True Stories
32 Points to Ponder
130 13 Things Homeschoolers
54 All in a Days Work
Wont Tell You
M IC HE LLE C R O U CH
70 Photo of Lasting Interest
86 Laughter, the Best
Medicine
107 Thats Outrageous!
129 Laugh Lines
146 RD.com
148 Humor in Uniform
152 Quotable Quotes
ILLUSTRATION BY
VALERO DOVAL
2 | 092014 | rd.com
GENIUS ADVICE
Food
38 19 Ways to Cook
Everything Faster
MARK BITTMAN ADAPTED FROM
HOW TO COOK EVERYT HING FAST
A LIS ON CAPORIMO
138 The Dumbest Thing
Technology I Ever Did
48 3 Ways to Avoid 143 Word Power
Identity Theft Are you smarter than a
DAMON BERES
12th grader?
Money E M ILY COX & H E NRY R ATH VO N
4 | 092014 | rd.com
Supervised, about a controversial danger to search for medical cures.
approach to childrens playtime, Dont worry, theres plenty of fun:
to Malcolm Gladwells treatise on jokes that make you sound like a
late-blooming creativity. genius (one of the most popular arti-
In our cover story, The Beautiful cles on rd.com), Garrison Keillors
Life of Your Brain, we examine the homespun life lessons, a Mensa
ancient circuitry of our quiz that lets you test
minds, learning how your own smarts, and
our essential modern perhaps the most
traits (including self-
Cynicism optimistic essay weve
control and the ability masquerades as ever read, by the leg-
to form a lifelong bond wisdom, but it endary E. B. White.
with a spouse) evolved. Philanthropists Bill
is the farthest
P HOTOGRAP H BY STEVE VACCARI ELLO; WA RDROBE STYL IST: E LYSHA L E NK IN
rd.com | 092014 | 5
Letters
COMMENTS ON THE JULY ISSUE
Best of America
A note to Professor Tyler Nordgren,
the night-sky photographer: Canyon-
lands National Parks Maze District
may be even darker than your Lassen
Volcanic. Hope you get to visit soon.
JIM GREEN, R o c k f o rd , I l l i n o i s
6 | 092014 | rd.com
Why We Forgive enough negativity in one half-hour
Desmond Tutu is always an inspira- news segment to last us for years.
tion, and the picture of hands that Could you please try to stick to
you ran adds a visual exclamation inspirational and uplifting stories?
point to his words: Turn the photo DIANA PARSONS, Hu d s o n , Ne w Ha m p s h i r e
180 degrees, and those same hands
become an arrow pointing skyward. Watch Out for the Wildman!
It really brings his message home. I am disgusted by the flagrant mis-
DON HAURY, We s t Mo n r o e , Ne w Yo r k treatment of animals for peoples
entertainment, and I hope the
Points to Ponder investigation will lead to banning
Senator Elizabeth Warren misses such practices. Thanks for publishing
the point when she uses the expres- this article. B. N., v i a e - m a i l
sion gun violence. The enemy in our
society is violence of all types, and Sensory Seduction
if we take away one tool, those who This story was very enlightening.
are driven to hurt others will find My sweet grandmother died in 1986,
another. Instead, we should focus and to this day, the smell of Jergens
on what causes people to act out. lotion brings memories of her
TOM HAIKIN, W i l l i a m s b u r g , Vi r g i n i a wonderfully soft hands. I need only
to close my eyes and breathe in that
A Poison Runs Through It cherry-almond scent to feel the
Having read this story, and having warmth of her love.
put up with all that goes on in the LILLIE TIDWELL, W i c h i t a Fa l l s , Te x a s
federal and state governments, my
new motto is reelect no one. Elected The Case of the
officials must realize they are respon- Bone Marrow Buyer
sible to those who voted them in, not This piece inspired me to join the
to big business. C. P., v i a e - m a i l national bone marrow registryI had
no idea there was such a need. I hope
I was shocked to see this diatribe that one day I have the opportunity to
in your magazine. The author has help someone. Thanks, RD!
a right to his views, but there is MELISSA HOPPER, R i p o n , C a l i f o r n i a
Send letters to [email protected] or Letters, Readers Digest, PO Box 6100, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1600. Include your full
name, address, e-mail, and daytime phone number. We may edit letters and use them in all print and electronic media.
Contribute Send us your 100-word true stories and funny jokes and quotes, and if we publish one in a print edition of
Readers Digest, well pay you $100. To submit your 100-word stories, visit rd.com/stories. To submit humor items, visit
rd.com/submit, or write to us at Jokes, Box 6226, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1726. Please include your full name and address in
your entry. Do Business Subscriptions, renewals, gifts, address changes, payments, account information, and inquiries:
Visit rd.com/help, call 877-732-4438, or write to us at Readers Digest, PO Box 6095, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1595.
rd.com | 092014 | 7
EVERYDAY
HEROES
Inspired by his grandfathers ingenuity,
Andrew Josephson saved his mothers life
day, then writing code until 1 a.m., At home, Andrew gave his mother
says Andrew. another test with the app. Again, it
The program used an iPhone micro- registered an abnormal reading. Now
phone to record a heartbeat and then Tina was convinced she should see
match it with Dr. Masons recordings her doctor.
to determine if the beat was irregular. A week later, tests revealed that
By July, Andrew had created a Tina was suffering from mitral valve
prototype, which he first tried on his regurgitation, a serious disorder that
own heart. As he expected, it regis- prevents a heart valve from shutting
tered that his heartbeat was normal. properly. Left untreated, the condition
The heartbeat of his father, Jeffrey, can cause heart failure.
also registered normal, as did those When Tina told her doctor that
of his sister Molly and the neighbors her sons smartphone app had
and friends he tested. But when persuaded her to seek him out,
Andrew used the app to test his he was amazed, Tina says.
mother, Tina, her heart sound came Later, when Tina showed a video
up abnormal. He recorded it several of her echocardiogram to Jeffrey
more times, and each time, the app and Andrew, they saw an image
P REVIOUS S PREA D: REDUX FOR READER S DIGEST; GROOM ER: TIF FAN Y SAXBY
produced the same outcome. of a colored jet of blood going the
At some point, youre going to get wrong way, says Andrew. When
that result, he says now. But I would I saw what the iPhone was picking
rather it not have been my mom. up, the possible impact of the app
Tina herself was skeptical. This really hit me.
cant be right, she said to Andrew. In March, Tina underwent
Im fine. At 54, Tina, a family doctor, successful open-heart surgery. Shes
was fit and felt well; she was not a now back at work seeing patients,
textbook candidate for heart prob- and shes playing tennis, running,
lems. But months later on a family ski and cycling again.
trip, Tina noticed she was exhausted Andrews initial curiosity about
at the end of each run. Her mind his grandfathers recordings and his
returned to the irregular reading tenacity in making the app astound
shed received from Andrews app. Tina. Im just very lucky, she says.
What if it was right? she wondered. My son saved my life.
10 | 092014 | rd.com
Joseph,
who has
won several
engineering
awards,
with his
tester teddy
bear
rd.com | 092014 | 11
2013 The Clorox Pet Products Company.
Eliminates
nat
na
ate
tes
tes Odors
Odo
Od
do
d o rs from
fro
fr
rrom
om
m
1 Urine 2 Fe
F
Feces
eces 3 Bacteria
B act
ctte
cte
ter
e
erri a
Cats everywhere are having a hard time smelling their litter boxes Carb
Ca
Caro
onrb
Extracts
rac
Plantt Extra
n + Plan
Ext
oors,
iminate Ody!
llilim
EElim
ts
cts
act
Naturall
thanks to Fresh Step Triple Action Na
freshstep.com
VOICES VIEWS
Department of Wit
25 Jokes
( (
That Make
You Sound
Like a Genius
BY A N DY S I M M O NS
14 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
What did the DNA say to the God, how much is a million
15
other DNA? Do these genes dollars?
make me look fat? To me, its a penny.
God, may I have a penny?
The bartender says, We dont Wait a minute.
16serve time travelers in here.
A time traveler walks into a bar. Is it your hope to impress upon
people that youve been around the
Did you hear about the globe a few times, even though a
17suicidal homeopath? He took walk into the living room is too far?
1/50th of the recommended dose. Trot out these worldly gags:
If you jumped off the bridge in
Religion is fraught with roiling
21 Paris, youd be in Seine.
self-doubt and unwavering faith.
Show youre well aware of the issues Your mama is so classless, she
by sharing these jests (and be sure 22 could be a Marxist utopia.
to call them a jest, which sounds
way smarter than a joke!)
A German walks into a bar
23
18 Aisland,
ship, sailing past a remote
spots a man who has
and asks for a martini. The
bartender asks, Dry?
been stranded there for several years. The German replies, Nein, just
The captain goes ashore to rescue one.
the man and notices three huts.
Whats the first hut for? he asks. Ren Descartes walks into
Thats my house, says the castaway. 24 a bar. The bartender says,
Whats the second hut for? Would you like a beer?
Thats my church. Descartes replies, I think not,
And the third hut? and promptly disappears.
Oh, that? sniffs the castaway.
Thats the church I used to go to. Did you hear about the weekly
25 poker game with Vasco da
What did the Buddhist say to Gama, Christopher Columbus,
19
the hot dog vendor? Make me Leif Erikson, and Francisco Pizarro?
one with everything. They can never seem to beat the
Straights of Magellan.
A man is talking to God. God,
20
how long is a million years?
God answers, To me, its about a
Are you as confused as I am by these
jokes? Go to rd.com/september for a full
minute. explanation of each one.
rd.com | 092014 | 15
WORDS OF LASTING INTEREST
Hang On
To Your Hope
North Brooklin, Maine
30 March 1973
Dear Mr. Nadeau,
As long as there is one upright man, as long as there is one compassionate
woman, the contagion may spread and the scene is not desolate. Hope is the
thing that is left to us, in a bad time. I shall get up Sunday morning and wind
the clock, as a contribution to order and steadfastness.
Sailors have an expression about the weather: they say, the weather is a
great bluffer. I guess the same is true of our human societythings can look
dark, then a break shows in the clouds, and all is changed, sometimes rather
suddenly. It is quite obvious that the human race has made a queer mess
of life on this planet. But as a people we probably harbor seeds of goodness
that have lain for a long time waiting to sprout when the conditions are right.
Mans curiosity, his relentlessness, his inventiveness, his ingenuity have led
him into deep trouble. We can only hope that these same traits will enable
him to claw his way out.
Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow
is another day.
Sincerely,
E. B. White
A noted essayist, White wrote Charlottes Web and Stuart Little and coauthored
The Elements of Style. He died in 1985.
FROM THE BOOK LETTERS OF E. B. WHITE, COPYRIGHT 2006 BY WHITE LITERARY LLC,
PUBLISHED BY HARPER, AN IMPRINT OF HARPERCOLLINS, HARPERCOLLINS.COM.
16 | 092014 | rd.com
PHOTOGRAPH BY DAN WINTERS rd.com | 092014 | 17
Life
IN THESE UNITED STATES
THE BARBERSHOP was crowded, sending him a check with this note:
so the woman at the cash register Do not cash until you write me a
offered to put my name on the thank-you. A few weeks later, the
waiting list. What is it? she asked. check had cleared, yet no message
Stephen, with a P-H, I said. had arrived. So she called him.
Minutes later, a chair opened up, I told you not to cash the check
and my name was called: Pheven? until youd written to thank me, she
STEPHEN HUDSON, Fa l m o u t h , Ma i n e complained.
I didnt cash the check, he said.
TO GET MY COUSIN to write to I deposited it.
her even once, my aunt resorted to MARK FORMAN, B e rk e l e y He ig ht s, Ne w Je r s e y
rd.com | 092014 | 19
FINISH THIS SENTENCE
Someone should
invent...
Boise, ID
bike lanes above cities, like skywalks,
an
underground
road
San Diego, CA for emergency responders.
MEGHAN NGUYEN
a phone line
to heaven.
TINA GAGNE
a remote
control Laredo, TX
to find my remote
control.
SHANE STOCK
20 | 092014 | rd.com
a vaccination
to prevent meanness in
human beings.
JAGESH JHA a way for people to have their own
theme music,
so when you meet them, you
immediately know if they are good
or evillike in a movie.
KELLY JOHNSON
Minneapolis, MN
a dream
recorder.
Id like to be able to watch the
good ones again and again. Columbus, OH
AMBER ASHABRANNER
McCune, KS
pants that
actually
a pipeline catch fire
when you lie.
to carry floodwaters from RAYMOND PORTALATIN
different parts of the country to
California. It really needs water
for fighting fires and droughts.
MARIE TERNULLO LEE
New Orleans, LA
Houston, TX
Go to facebook.com/readersdigest
for the chance to finish the next sentence.
rd.com | 092014 | 21
Yankee Yooper on The Right Wing:
the Keweenaw The Good, The Bad,
and the Crazy
Philip J. Howard, Jr., M.D.
Charles Phillip Rider
www.xlibris.com
9781493187898 | Paperback | $17.95 www.xlibris.com
978-1-4836-3089-2 | Paperback | $15.99
Practice surgery on a Michigan upper peninsula An up-close and personal glimpse into the
work trip. Learn what being a yooper is all political direction of the United States,
about. Father Marquette and the Mississippi Right Wing, The Good, The Bad and The Crazy is a
River? Global warming? Lake Superior? The comprehensive expos about the shocking
Toledo war? Civil War? Old Hickory Andrew social and political realities currently facing the
Jackson? DeWitt Clinton? Ben Franklin? Enjoy nation and its people.
learning about the Keweenaw and those who
shaped the UP history.
Peruvian Short Stories
When a prospective
groom misbehaves
and then calls off the
wedding, should he
pay the expenses?
The Case
Of the
Jilted Bride
BY VIC KI GLEMB OCKI
It was from a woman named Danielle, he had had sex with Danielle.
indicating that she and Leighton Serafin asked Leighton to pay
had been intimately involved during for the wedding expenses she had
his trip to Vegas. Serafin asked accrueda total of $62,814.71but
Leighton about it, and he denied he refused. On October 6, Serafin
it. When she pressed the issue, he sent a letter stating she would file a
admitted that the two had kissed, civil action. Then, on March 4, 2011,
and then he said he wanted to call her attorney, Enrico J. Mirabelli, filed
off the wedding. a complaint with the Circuit Court
Still concerned that she didnt of Cook County.
have the whole story, Serafin tried Basically, this is a contract case,
to contact Danielle directly. She says Mirabelli. Its a breach of
received a response from a person promise to marry.
calling on behalf of Danielle, stating
that Leighton not only had had sexual After canceling the wedding, should
relations with Danielle but also had Robert Leighton be required to
never let on that he was engaged. reimburse his former fiance for
Finally, Leighton confessed that wedding expenses? You be the judge.
THE VERDICT
Theres an antiquated statute in Illinois and a few other states called the
Breach of Promise to Marry Act, which covers breaches of promises or
agreements to marry. The only condition is this: Within three months of
the breach, the plaintiff must mail a letter in a sealed envelope with first-
class postage prepaid informing the defendant about the intent to file
suit. Serafin did just that. But this case never made it to court; it was settled
for an undisclosed amount days after the complaint was filed. We brought
this lawsuit to recoup damages, says Mirabelli. My client was very satisfied
[with the settlement]. And Mirabelli can reveal the storys moral: What
happens in Vegas doesnt always stay in Vegas.
Do you have a case? E-mail a synopsis of your situation along with your name
and location to rd.com/letters (include the word judge in the subject line) for
a chance to be included in an upcoming issue.
24 | 092014 | rd.com
FACES
OF AMERICA
BY GLEN N GLASSER
Bobak Ferdowsi
PA S A D E N A , C A L I F O R N I A
rd.com | 092014 | 25
Your True Stories
IN 100 WORDS
T he phone
was ringing.
My palms were
months when he broke
his foot. Finally he
could walk again.
sweaty, and my I thought Mother
heart was pound- forgot me, he said,
ing. I was fearful but when she saw
that the recipient me, she smiled and
of my call would be said, I love you.
angry. A pleasant- Then my father sobbed.
sounding woman NANCY ABESHAUS,
picked up: Hello? Can Wa k e f i e l d , R h o d e Is l a n d
The King
Of Connection
BY BR A N D O N S P E C KTOR
rd.com | 092014 | 29
THE RD INTERVIEW
30 | 092014 | rd.com
Points to Ponder
THE CORE STRATEGY for self-control SEPARATE BEDS MEANS better
is to cool the now and heat the sleep, which in turn can produce
laterpush the temptation in front healthier spouses and a happier
of you far away in space and time, marriage Though when I gingerly
and bring the distant consequences mentioned this theory to my
closer in your mind. husband and he agreed with me,
I did feel a tiny bit hurt.
WALTER MISCHEL,
professor of psychology, from his book HOLLY ALLEN,
The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control w e b d e s i g n e r, on slate.com
32 | 092014 | rd.com
When its played
beautifully, football is a
symphony. And when its
played hard, its a war.
JIMMY FALLON,
talk-show host, in Vogue
GO TO STANDUP2CANCER.ORG
CANADIAN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION, CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY, CANADIAN INSTITUTES OF HEALTH RESEARCH, CANCER RESEARCH
INSTITUTE, CANCER STEM CELL CONSORTIUM, FARRAH FAWCETT FOUNDATION, FIFTH THIRD BANK, FOX FAMILY CANCER RESEARCH FUNDING
TRUST, GENOME CANADA, LAURA ZISKIN FAMILY TRUST, LUSTGARTEN FOUNDATION, MELANOMA RESEARCH ALLIANCE, NATIONAL OVARIAN
CANCER COALITION, ONTARIO INSTITUTE FOR CANCER RESEARCH, OVARIAN CANCER NATIONAL ALLIANCE, OVARIAN CANCER RESEARCH
FUND, ROOMKEY.COM, SEAN PARKER FOUNDATION, SIEMENS, ST. BALDRICKS FOUNDATION
ART of LIVING
18 Things Weve
Learned So Far
BY G A R R I S O N K E I L LO R FR O M
TH E BOOK THE KEILLO R R E A DE R
I TURNED 70 aboard a
ship on the Atlantic Ocean, just
so I could do it quietly, without
a cake flaming up like the wreck
of the Hindenburg and a bunch
of friends singing to me in their
crinkly, ruined voices. And it
was the right thing to doa little
lunch on the aft deck as the ship
plowed through the fog, not far
from where the Titanic went
down. When I returned home, I
found that younger people now
addressed me as Sir. And when
I spoke, they got all hushed as if
it were an invocation, which was
gratifying. Ive waited a long
time to reach this level of
veneration, and now that Ive
gotten here, I might as well
dispense some wisdom.
PHOTOGRAPH BY RALPH SMITH rd.com | 092014 | 35
1 8 T H I N G S W E V E L E A R N E D S O FA R
9
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MCKENDRY
have been a stranger yourself, Its good to dream, but the urge
to perform is not in itself an
indication of talent.
GARRISON KEILLOR
10
is a humorist, author, Never marry someone who
and storyteller and the
lacks a good sense of humor.
host of the radio show
A Prairie Home She will need it. It is a challenge
Companion. to live intimately with your best-
informed critic.
36 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
do if given the chance. Shame them exactly that right now. Good night.
with goodness. Kill them with kind- God bless you. Close the door on
ness. Cut their throats with courtesy. your way out.
THE KEILLOR READER, BY GARRISON KEILLOR, COPYRIGHT 2014 BY GARRISON KEILLOR, IS PUBLISHED BY VIKING,
A MEMBER OF PENGUIN GROUP (USA) LLC, PENGUIN.COM.
rd.com | 092014 | 37
GENIUS ADVICE FOOD
19 Ways to Cook
Everything Faster
BY MA R K B I T T M A N
ADAP T ED F R OM TH E B OO K H OW TO CO O K E V E RYT H I N G FAST
MARK BITTMAN Put all the produce together in a colander and rinse
writes for the 3 under cold water. (If you have a large amount, wash
New York in batches, putting whats done on towels.) During downtime
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MCKENDRY
38 | 092014 | rd.com
Big, thick pieces of food take
5 longer to cook through than
those cut small or sliced thin. I cut
chicken cutlets in half so they cook
faster; chop veggies accordingly.
Cut around the core: This aislea true gift to hurried cooks.
10 method is a fast way to prep I always keep frozen peas and corn
apples, pears, tomatoes, cabbage, on hand.
peaches, and bell peppers. Slice
downward around the core, remov- Unless youre bakingor
ing flesh in three or four pieces; then 15 roasting something that
cut flesh into slices or wedges. requires an initial blast of very high
heatyou dont have to wait for
Instead of roasting winter the oven to reach its set temperature
11 veggies, eat them raw. Squash, before putting in the food. Veggies
beets, parsnips, and celery root make and slow-roasted or braised meat
great salads and slaws. Since root work well this way.
vegetables are sturdy, grate them.
If theyre still too crispy for comfort, If youve forgotten to let butter
marinate them for a half hour or 16 soften, melt it in the micro-
longer in a vinaigrette. wave; then use a brush to apply it
to bread for a more even coating.
Prep Brussels sprouts in the
12 food processor. The machine
does the job in a few pulses, and
17 When making meatballs, the
most time-consuming part is
the small pieces will broil in about rolling them. The solution? Dont.
half the time. Plus, you get more Use two spoons to drop little mounds
of the delicious crispy bits that into the hot skillet. Theyll brown
I cant get enough of (just ask my beautifullyand taste just as good.
daughters).
Make unstuffed cabbage.
Some soups need to simmer 18 Blanching cabbage leaves to
13 for hours, but cold soups, make them pliable is onerous. Use
such as gazpacho, involve simply cooked cabbage as a base instead
putting ingredients in a blender and of a wrapperitll provide the same
turning it on. So underrated. taste with much less work.
40 | 092014 | rd.com
BITTMANS FASTEST CHICKEN PARM
42 | 092014 | rd.com
P ROP STYLIST: SARAH GUIDO FOR HALLEY RES OURCES . ILLUSTRATI ON BY L IZZIE OL SE N
44 | 092014 | rd.com
G L U CO
O UR SE
Y LE
VE R
LS
MATTE
When it comes to eating you should be able to enjoy a little bit of everything.
Phase 2 White Kidney Bean Extract has been clinically tested to help support
healthy glucose levels in healthy individuals who eat dietary starches. This
stimulant free formula may also reduce the enzymatic digestion of starches to
aid your body in stocking fewer carb calories.
Learn more at natrol.com
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease. *These products are to be used in conjunction with a healthy calorie reduction and exercise
program. Optimum results in clinical studies occurred between 8-12 weeks. Individual Results May Vary. 2014 Natrol, Inc.
For Detailed clinical studies visit: www.phase2info.com. The trademarks Phase 2 Carb Controller and Foodbound are being used under license.
GENIUS ADVICE HOME
13 Clever Ways
To Clean
BY A L I SO N C A P O R I M O
STICKY CANDLES
Place a grimy candle inside a stocking and
roll it around. The nonabrasive nylon will
clean the wax surface without sticking to it.
DINGY TV SCREENS
Swipe a coffee filter across dusty and
staticky computer monitors and plasma
TV screens to remove buildup.
A STINKY KITCHEN
Toss orange and lemon peels into the
garbage disposal and grind them up
for a few minutes to give your kitchen
an amazing fresh citrus smell with
no work at all.
rd.com | 092014 | 49
GENIUS ADVICE MONEY
33 Ways
To Get a Deal
On Anything
Groceries
Try Boxed, a handy app for
iPhone and Android. You can get
discounted cereal, applesauce,
peanut butter, body washyou
name itshipped in bulk to
your home for free. And unlike
some warehouse services,
theres no membership fee.
No smartphone? Shop from
your laptop. The Wall Street Jour-
nal recently reported that grocer-
ies from delivery services like
Walmart and AmazonFresh are
sometimes 10 percent less than
the same items from a grocer.
Dental Care
P ROP STYLIST: ROBI N FIN LAY
rd.com | 092014 | 51
GENIUS ADVICE: MONEY
52 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
rd.com | 092014 | 53
ALL IN
A Days Work
THE NOTE LEFT ON the office refrig- That made us think of this:
erator was addressed to The culprit When a zoos gorilla dies, the
zookeeper hires an actor to don
who ate what you thought were two
a costume and act like an ape
peanut butter ice cream bars. until the zoo can get another
Well skip over the details and one. In the cage, the actor makes
go straight to the signature: faces, swings around, and draws
Love, Constipated-Dog Owner. a huge crowd. He then crawls
Source: someecards.com across a partition and atop the
lions cage, infuriating the animal.
WEVE BEEN OVER THIS BEFORE: But the actor stays in character
until he loses his grip and falls
Stupid doesnt play well on job inter-
into the lions cage. Terrified, the
views. Hiring managers wish these actor shouts, Help! Help me!
job seekers had gotten the memo. Too late. The lion pounces, opens
Applicant acted out a Star Trek role. its massive jaws, and whispers,
Applicant asked for a hug. Shut up! Do you want to get
Applicant popped out his teeth us both fired?!
when discussing dental benefits.
Applicant crashed her car into
Buy your own gorilla costume with the
the building. $100 well pay if we run your gag! See
From CareerBuilders 2014 Interview Blunders Survey page 7 or go to rd.com/submit for details.
NOTE: Ads were removed from this edition. Please continue to page 62.
GENIUS ADVICE HEALTH
FOOD STY LIST: JA MIE KIMM ; P ROP STYLI ST: P HILI P SHUBIN
rd.com | 092014 | 63
W H Y D O E S A I R P L A N E F O O D TA S T E S O B A D ?
exercise itself, not how much you sensitive site of cranial incision on
sweat. The more intense the effort, the skin get local anesthetic during
the greater the health benefits and, surgery, says Dimitris Placantonakis,
generally, the more you sweat (your MD, a neurosurgeon at New York
bodys natural response to your core University. Headaches can occur
temperature rising). But perspiring, when the dura or other non-brain
in and of itself, does not amplify structures, like muscles and sinuses,
those effects (not even calorie are irritated, inflamed, or under
burning). You could sweat a lot pressure. Whether the disturbance
due to a hot or humid environment, results from a tumor, trauma, or the
and you wouldnt get any extra freeze of triple-churned ice cream,
fitness benefit. pain-sensing receptors in the head
GRETCHEN REYNOLDS, from the New York Times send signals to the brain, which
processes them as ow!
Why does food taste bad after JAMES CARLTON, from Discover
I brush my teeth?
Thank sodium laureth sulfate for Why are the blood vessels in our
ruining your breakfast. This surfac- eyes more visible when were tired?
tantadded to toothpastes to create Sleepiness slows down blinking,
foam and make the paste easier to which normally keeps the outer
spreadsuppresses receptors on layer of the eye lubricated. Dryness
our taste buds that perceive sweet- triggers mild inflammation and
ness. It also breaks up the tongues dilation of blood vessels that are
phospholipids, enhancing bitter tastes. usually invisible. Blinking more
To end this torture, consider a tooth- frequently may help ease discomfort.
paste without this ingredientor From New Scientist
64 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
Why do annoying songs get stuck Its often said that head-injury
in my head? patients should be kept awake, on
Because youre unfamiliar with the the theory that dozing off could send
lyrics. People can recall the first verse them into a coma. Many doctors
of a song, but after the chorus, they say thats not the case. The one thing
might stumble over the words. The they do watch for in an unresponsive
song becomes incomplete, which patient is hindered breathing. ER
transforms into an intrusive thought, doctors and technicians are trained
according to Ira Hyman Jr. of Western to keep a victims airway clear. They
Washington University. Songs intrude may do this by inserting a tube
during tasks that are either difficult, into the tracheanot by begging
causing the mind to wander, or easy, her to stay alert.
allowing repetitive thoughts to enter. DANIEL ENGBER, from slate.com
To flush out these stuck songs, called
earworms, find an engaging task
that requires the auditory and verbal
components of your working memory,
like reading a good book or watching
a favorite show.
ANAHAD OCONNOR, from the New York Times
In TV shows or movies,
characters often urge
a wounded figure to
stay with them, not
to lose consciousness.
Is there any medical
basis for this?
No. If someones
about to fall into
a coma, theres
nothing you can say
to stop it. Whatever
problem is causing a
loss of consciousness
stroke, drug overdose, or
something elsewill generally
continue to unfold irrespective
of a patients state of awareness.
rd.com | 092014 | 65
GENIUS ADVICE HEALTH
Doctors Orders
RIDDLE ME THIS
QUESTION: With pointed fangs I sit and wait; with piercing force
I seize my bait, grabbing victims, chomping tight, physically
joining with a single bite. What am I?
ANSWER: A stapler.
rd.com | 092014 | 67
GENIUS ADVICE HEALTH
FOOD STYLI ST: JAM IE KIM M; PROP STY LIST: P HI LIP S HUBIN
malnutrition. But Im
concerned about Really Exist?
the growing number In the study, irrita-
of individuals whove ble bowel syndrome
adopted a gluten-free (IBS) patients who
diet with no celiac were on a gluten-free
diagnosis. Chances are diet switched to a
you know folks like low-FODMAP diet.
them: They had stom- (This entails avoiding
ach issues, like bloating certain fruits, vegeta-
or pain, or fatigue and bles, grains, and
headaches. Then they legumes.) Participants
stopped eating gluten all reported feeling
and felt better. If they better on the low-
resumed eating it, symp- FODMAP diet. They were
toms came roaring back. then told that gluten
Knighty Knight.
rd.com | 092014 | 69
PHOTO
OF LASTING
INTEREST
Photograph by
Ralph Morse
Chosen by
Michio Kaku,
t h e o r e t i c a l p hy s i c i s t
On April 18, 1955, just
hours after Albert
Einsteins death, a Life
magazine photographer
RALPH MORSE/TIM E & LIFE P ICTURES/GETTY I MAGES
A look at the
neuroscience of our most
human traitslove, anger,
compassionand how to
harness your mental muscle
for a more fulfilling life
The
Beautiful Life
of Your
BRAIN BY KIM BERLY H ISS
T
Sagan and his team chose to reveal a
hint of our brains inner workings. The his sophisticated organ
question of what makes us human is has been evolving for mil-
well-worn territory for philosophers, lions of years through a
theologians, and artists. But to many process similar to add-
scientists, the answer lies in the mys- ing ice cream scoops to a cone, says
tery of our brain, the three-pound David J. Linden, PhD, a Johns Hop-
organ between our ears firing nearly kins University neuro scientist and P REVIOUS PAGE: GETTY IMAGES (BRAIN )
78 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
T
a human can take pleasure in fasting hink back to your last per-
or abstaining from sex, which has no formance review. Your boss
evolutionary advantage. The miracle starts by saying 19 positive
of human thinking is that our ancient things, says Hanson. But
pleasure circuitry can be activated by if theres one piece of criticism at the
higher, more complicated parts of our end, thats what you remember. What
brain, Linden explains. sticks is the negative 20th.
In a way, this is the basis of all That overreactioncalled negativity
human culture, he continues. That we bias in psychology circleshelped
can take pleasure from things that are keep ancient humans alive.
rd.com | 092014 | 79
T H E B E AU T I F U L L I F E O F YO U R B R A I N
Ancestors had to get carrots, Future Self like that? says Timothy
meaning food and mates, and avoid A. Pychyl, PhD, an associate professor
sticks, such as predators, Hanson of psychology at Carleton University
explains. If you dont get a carrot in Ottawa, Canada, and the author of
today, youll have another chance Solving the Procrastination Puzzle.
tomorrow. But if you fail to avoid One study that used fMRI to see what
a predator? Whap! Game over. Our parts of the brain were active when
brains became wired to hyper- subjects thought about their pres-
focus on bad news. He continues, ent selves, their future selves, and a
The brain is like Velcro for bad stranger found that the brain thinks
experiences but Teflon for good ones. about the future self more similarly to
Simple practices can help you the way it thinks about a stranger.
counteract this bias. Nega- Procrastination is also the
tivity quickly becomes struggle between two dif-
neural structure, he ferent brain systems. The
says. Positive experi- limbic system, which
ences, however, can is responsible for our
take more time to en- basic emotions, is an
code. Intentionally old part of our brain (in
feeling positive expe- the second ice cream
riences longer helps scoop). Its also a very
them sink in, which can fast automated system that
help you become happier responds nonconsciously. It
and more resilient. Savor receiving wants immediate mood repairto
a compliment. Be mindful during feel good now. Then theres the newer
happy moments; note details so theyre prefrontal cortex (the third scoop),
easier to remember. home of executive function, which
involves planning and impulse con-
YOUR BRAIN WHILE trol. Its a slower process you have to
PROCRASTINATING
W
consciously kick into gear.
hen you put off a When you contemplate doing your
pressing project, you taxes, the limbic system first activates
avoid negative emo- with its urgent goal of feeling better
tions caused by an now, which is accomplished by avoid-
unpleasant task because you want to ing this dreaded task. Lagging behind
feel good now. But all youre really is the more responsible prefrontal
doing is giving the problem to your cortex, which you need to engage to
future self. So the question neuro- think about the benefits of completing
logically becomes, Why do we treat your tax return on time.
80 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
T
Romantic love originates in the
he luckiest among us relate ventral tegmental area in the oldest
to not only the romantic part of the brain near centers that gov-
love Ann Druyan experi- ern thirst and hunger, she explains.
enced when she first fell for Romantic love is a basic drive that
Carl Sagan but also the long-lasting focuses our energy on winning lifes
bond that linked the couple until greatest prize: a mating partner. It is
Sagans death 19 years later. Those a mechanism for survival.
two distinct types of love arise from A primary brain region linked with
different brain regions, says Helen attachment, however, is the ventral
Fisher, PhD, a member of the Center pallidum, which is more modern and
for Human Evolutionary Studies at higher up (in the third scoop). In-
Rutgers University. tense, romantic attraction is a more
rd.com | 092014 | 81
T H E B E AU T I F U L L I F E O F YO U R B R A I N
B
the hippocampus, which shrinks the
eing pepper-sprayed, getting calming part of the brain that puts
punched, and landing in jail things in perspective.
are all outcomes of recent To bring this stress response under
cases of traffic incidents control, we can use our newer brain
like tailgating. How is it that road rage regions, like the prefrontal cortex, to
can result in 12,610 injuries and even regulate our older ones. For example:
218 murders over a seven-year period, Everyone has an involuntary reac-
as a AAA report concluded? tion to a stressful situation like giving
Blame a psychological quirk called a public talk. We feel butterflies and
fundamental attribution error. We have a dry mouth because thats how
assume that someones behavior is evolution has trained us, Moran
due to their innate disposition, as explains. But some people can recast
opposed to thinking about the situation that nervous energy as a positive force.
that could be causing it, says Joseph Their higher brain regions allow them
Moran, PhD, research associate at to reinterpret physical symptoms as a
82 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
sign they are excited and ready to con- While the primary visual cortex,
nect with the crowd. When you feel an- which receives light input from your
gry behind the wheel, forcing yourself eyes, is less active while youre sleep-
to refocussay, by thinking, Ill be only ing than when youre awake, the
15 minutes late, or, I might as well enjoy secondary visual cortex, which is
the nice day while I waitmay help you involved when you imagine some-
dial down your emotional reaction. thing, is most active during REM sleep.
The motor cortex turns on, firing off
YOUR BRAIN WHILE movement commands that are coun-
DREAMING
A
tered by another area that paralyzes
participant came to a dream muscles during sleep. Also notably,
study with a dilemma. He the censoring prefrontal cortex,
couldnt decide between which helps ensure you behave in
two graduate programs conventional ways, becomes less
near his Massachusetts home and two active while you snooze.
farther west. Then he dreamed he was Not only does this new distribution
in a plane flying over a map. The pilot of activity match the iconic features of
said they were having engine trouble dreamsvisually rich environments
and needed a safe place to land. The where you perform over-the-top
student suggested Massachusetts, but actions and events take bizarre twists
the pilot said Massachusetts was very but it also makes dreams fertile ground
dangerous. The student woke up real- for solving the problems of your waking
izing the right choice was a program life. Increased activity in the second-
away from home. ary visual cortex allows your dream-
By conducting such dream studies, ing mind to visualize new solutions
Deirdre Barrett, PhD, assistant clini- to problems. Inventors might see a
cal professor of psychology at Harvard design, or chemists might visualize the
University, has been exploring the structure of molecules, says Barrett.
complex workings of the brains Decreased activity in the prefrontal
sleep circuitry. After you conk out, cortex can help in instances where
she explains, your brain becomes youve been stuck.
quiet, but after 90 minutes, To maximize dreamings
it dramatically reactivates problem-solving benefits,
with rapid eye movement Barrett suggests in her book
( REM ) sleep, becoming as The Committee of Sleep that
active as it is when youre awake. at bedtime, you phrase your
However, that activity comes concern in a succinct way by writ-
from a different distribution of ing it or repeating it to yourself.
brain regions. Then come up with a visual image
rd.com | 092014 | 83
T H E B E AU T I F U L L I F E O F YO U R B R A I N
I
structures in old reward centers that
magine youre in line for coffee, handle pleasure and newer areas
and Pharrell Williamss bounc- of the cortex that handle prediction
ing hit Happy comes on the and anticipation, says Zatorre. In
radio. The resulting cascade of one study, he found that the brain
mental activity it takes to process released dopamine, a chemical linked
the music touches on all the most to pleasure and reward, in anticipa-
advanced aspects of human cognition, tion of a subjects favorite part of the
says Robert Zatorre, PhD, professor of song. So it may be that music fuels
n e u ro s c i e n c e a t t h e Mo n t re a l your brains innate desire to detect
Neurological Institute and Hospital patterns and solve problems.
at McGill University. First, the sound
hits your ear, activating a series of YOUR BRAIN WHILE
MEDITATING
M
structures from the cochlea (where
vibrations are turned into electri- editation may be a pow-
cal impulses) to the brains cortex. erful way to build our
When you recognize the tuneits brains old rowboat into a
name or where you last heard ityour sleek racer. The practice
auditory cortex is connecting with can grow brain tissue, improving our
regions that handle memory retrieval. moods and making us more resilient.
Then, if you start tapping your foot, Meditation involves metacogni-
youve activated the motor cortex in tionthinking about thinking, pay-
a very particular way because youre ing attention to attentionwhich uses
tapping to the exact beat of the song. the prefrontal cortex, says Hanson. It
Finally, if Happy has you feeling, engages the entire brain, accessing
well, happy, the song has turned on sensory and emotional experiences,
your brains reward systemancient, wants and drives, and deep ancient
84 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
rd.com | 092014 | 85
Laughter
THE BEST MEDICINE
A PRIEST AND A PASTOR are stand- The priest turns to the pastor and
ing by the side of a road holding up says, Do you think we should just
a sign that reads The end is near! put up a sign that says Bridge Out
Turn around now before its too late! instead?
A passing driver yells, You guys are
nuts! and speeds past them. From KARATE: the ancient Japanese art of
around the curve, they hear screech- getting people to buy lots of belts.
ing tiresthen a big splash. C o m e d i a n MYQ KAPLAN
68 Rambler into mine. $100. We pay for funny jokes and lists!
From humorlabs.com Go to page 7 or rd.com/submit for details.
rd.com | 092014 | 87
MEDICAL DRAMA
FROZEN
One hundred years ago, hypothermia was often lethal.
88 | 092014 | rd.com PHOTOGRAPHS BY JAMIE CHUNG
BACK TO LIFE
Now doctors induce it to save people on the brink of death.
BY K E V I N F O N G , M D F R O M T H E BO O K E X T R E ME ME DI C I N E
I
T IS 1912. Antarctica is as inacces- extremes: the coldest, the highest, the
sible as it is fraught with risk; and most parched. Its climate has made
that, of course, is its attraction, it uninhabitable for all but the last
leading men to pit their lives against hundred years of human history.
its challenges. Having been beaten to Bleak though Antarctica may
the pole by Roald Amundsens Norwe- be, its important to consider how
gian expedition, Scott now embarks on Scotts body reacts to his plummeting
a race of a different kind: the scramble temperature because that process is
to write letters to the next of kin of his the key to an extraordinary advance
expedition team, telling of the mens in future medical technology.
brilliance and honor and how he was
responsible for leading them to their
1912: Shivers, Then
deaths. Time is against him.
Not only can temperatures freeze
Merciful Sleep
exposed flesh in seconds, but the con- Scotts physiology is designed to battle
tinents great sheets of ice hold water for him, to give him his best chance
locked away, and less than a single of survival. As he writes, he feels the
inch of rain falls inland each year. The heat draining out of his hand. The
Ross Ice Shelf is a desert, and it will blood vessels that run through his
attempt to dehydrate and desiccate bodys periphery, carrying hot blood
Scotts body. With much of the conti- to his skins surface and losing that
nent thrust two miles above sea level, heat uselessly to the outside world,
Scott is high enough to make heavy are constricting. His body hair stands
exertion uncomfortable, even for the on end to trap more air close to his
acclimatized. Thats not to mention skin. Both of these measures are an
the scouring Antarctic winds, which effort to reduce conductive heat loss.
will carry heat away from his body, In the Antarctic environment, how-
driving his temperature down. All ever, this physiological strategy is next
told, Antarctica is a continent of fierce to useless.
90 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
how athletically, is merely the bodys In May 1999, three junior doctors,
method of buying time in the hope Anna Bgenholm, Torvind Naesheim,
that something in its external environ- and Marie Falkenberg, were ski-
ment will change for the better. ing off trail in the Kjlen Mountains
As deep hypothermia proceeds, of Northern Norway. The beautiful
it alters Scotts mind, making him evening was one of the first days of
irritable and possibly irrational. eternal sunshine at the start of sum-
When his bodys reserves of fuel run mer. All three were expert skiers;
out, the shivering stopswhich only Anna began her run confidently.
accelerates the rate at which he cools. But Anna unexpectedly lost
Mercifully, something that looks like control. Torvind and Marie watched
sleep follows, as the electrical activ- from afar as she tumbled headlong
ity in his brain begins to fail. He slips into a thick layer of ice covering a
into a coma well before the impair- mountain stream. Anna fell through
ment of his heart muscles cell mem- a hole in the ice, her head and chest
branes, the gatekeepers of electrical trapped beneath the frozen surface.
stability in that organ. Frenzied an- Her clothes began to soak, their extra
archic rhythms may follow, the heart weight carrying her deeper, dragging
writhing uselessly like a bag of worms her downstream with the current and
before finally coming to a standstill. farther beneath the ice.
With his heart no longer beating, his Torvind and Marie arrived just in
body is deprived of fresh oxygen. time to grab her ski boots, stopping
But at such low temperatures, the her from vanishing under the lip of
rate at which Scotts cells fail and die the ice. Anna was lying faceup with
is dragged out. The normal window of her mouth and nose out of the wa-
a few hundred seconds when his brain ter in an air pocket. She continued to
is dying, yet his circulation might still struggle, freezing, in the Arctic stream.
rd.com | 092014 | 91
F R OZ E N B AC K TO L I F E
None of the three could have been break through the thick covering of ice.
in any doubt about the seriousness of Forty minutes after Anna became
the situation. Even in those first min- trapped, her desperate thrashing
utes, Annas core temperature was stopped, and her body went limp. The
beginning to plunge. Torvind called for hypothermia, now profound enough
help on his mobile phone. Two rescue to anesthetize her brain, would soon
teams were sent, one from the top of stop her heart. Another 40 minutes
the mountain, on skis, and another passed before rescuers arrived with
from the town of Narvik at its base. a more substantial shovel that could
The ski team arrived first, but the snow break through the ice.
shovel the group had brought couldnt Annas body, lifeless and blue, was
92 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
pulled out of the stream. She had was genuine terra incognita. Further
stopped breathing and was without a attempts to resuscitate Anna could
pulse. As the resuscitation effort be- proceed only in the knowledge that in
gan, the challenge Anna faced seemed similar situations, past medical teams
insurmountable. Her core tempera- had always failed.
ture was perhaps more than 36F But the team at Troms decided to
lower than it should have been. continue. There was still the glimmer
The key to good resuscitation is to of hope that the terrible cold might
keep the blood supplied with oxygen also have preserved her brain.
M
and moving around the body. This
is achieved by breathing for the pa- ADS GILBERT, the anesthetist
tient and then compressing the chest leading the resuscitation
rhythmically to provide something effort, moved Anna to the
approximating circulation. None of operating room. Raising her tem-
this is as efficient as the bodys native perature was going to be a massive
heartbeat and breathing, but it buys challenge. Warm blankets and heated
time. In principle, it sounds straight- rooms alone wouldnt be nearly
forward. In practice, there is perhaps enough. Raising Annas whole body
nothing that adequately describes the temperature through all those miss-
sickening, repetitive crunch of ribs ing degrees would take an enormous
beneath the heel of the rescuers hand amount of energyequivalent to the
or the rising sense of desperation that boiling of dozens of kettles of water.
the rescuer feels as the minutes tick by. To do this quickly and without doing
Just before 8 p.m., more than an harm in the process, Mads knew Anna
hour and a half after she fell into the would have to be put on a heart-lung
stream, Anna was whisked onto a bypass machine, the sort of device
helicopter. While the aircraft was mov- normally reserved for open-heart
ing speedily across the Norwegian surgery. By removing Annas chilled
landscape, the struggle to save Annas blood, circulating it in a bypass ma-
life became a desperate scramble. chine, and heating and then returning
Helicopters, with their cramped condi- it to her lifeless body, doctors could
tions and deafening noise, are among raise her core temperature rapidly. At
the most difficult places to work. least that was the theory.
When the helicopter touched down Thirty minutes after Anna was
at Troms University Hospital, Annas established on the heart-lung bypass
heart had not beaten for at least two machine, her core temperature had
hours. Her core temperature, 56.7F, increased by more than half, to 87.8F.
was lower than any surviving patients The heart, its molecular machinery
in recorded medical history. This now warm enough to work again,
rd.com | 092014 | 93
F R OZ E N B AC K TO L I F E
stuttered at first, unable to regain its of rehabilitation, but the day came
own essential rhythm. But eventu- when Anna was well enough to ski and
ally, electricity began to flow through return to her training as a doctor. She
the muscle of her heart, followed by specialized in radiology and now works
waves of contraction. A little after at the hospital that saved her life.
10 p.m., Annas heart started to beat Anna Bgenholm is an extraordinary
independently for the first time in at survivor. Against seemingly impossible
least three hours. odds, doctors exploited her profound
But the fight was far from over. Dur- hypothermia to resuscitate her. While
ing the scramble to save Annas life, her survival occurred in the context of
the team had damaged an artery be- an accident, other patients continue to
hind the collarbone on the right side benefit from hypothermia by design.
of her chest. The hemorrhage that fol-
lowed was made far worse by Annas 2010 and Beyond:
hypothermic state because blood Hypothermia Saves
loses much of its ability to clot at low
temperatures. The team now faced
Lives
the possibility that she could bleed to Esmail Dezhbods symptoms had
death. Cardiothoracic surgeons had begun to worry him. He felt pressure
to open her chest, isolate the bleed- in his chest, at times great pain. A
ing artery, and stop the hemorrhage. body scan revealed that Esmail was
After hours of work by dozens of peo- in trouble. He had an aneurysm of
ple, she was finally stable enough to be his thoracic aorta, a swelling of the
transferred to the intensive care unit. main arterial tributary leading from
While there, Anna miraculously his heart. This vessel had doubled in
survived lung failure and kidney fail- size, to the width of a can of Coke.
ure and opened her eyes for the first Esmail had a bomb in his chest
time after just 12 days. She found her- that might go off at any moment.
self paralyzed from the neck down, Aneurysms elsewhere can usually be
alive but quadriplegic. repaired with relative ease. But in this
Thankfully, Annas paralyzed body location, so close to the heart, there
did not remain that way. It wasnt an ir- are no easy options. The thoracic
reversible injury to her spinal cord that aorta carries blood from the heart and
had left her unable to move. Instead, into the upper body, supplying oxygen
her peripheral nerves, damaged by to the brain, among other organs. To
the extremes of cold, had failed. Slowly repair the aneurysm, flow would have
but surely, these nerves and her flaccid to be interrupted by stopping the
muscles began to regain their function. heart. At normal body temperatures,
It would ultimately take six hard years this and the accompanying oxygen
94 | 092014 | rd.com
R E A D E R S D I G E ST
starvation would damage the brain, a length of around six inches, then
leading to permanent disability or replace it with an artificial graft. The
death within three or four minutes. electrical activity in Esmails brain is,
Esmails surgeon, cardiac special- at this point, undetectable. He is not
ist John Elefteriades, MD, decided breathing and has no pulse. Physically
to carry out the procedure under the and biochemically, he is indistin-
conditions of deep hypothermic arrest. guishable from someone who is dead.
He used a heart-lung bypass machine After 32 minutes, the repair is
to cool Esmails body to a mere 64.4F complete. The team warms Esmails
before stopping his heart completely. freezing body, and very quickly his
Then, while the heart and circulation heart explodes back to life, pumping
were at a standstill, Dr. Elefteriades beautifully, delivering a fresh supply
performed the complicated repair, of oxygen to his brain for the first time
racing the clock while his patient lay in over half an hour.
dying on the operating table. A day later, I visit Esmail in the
I was there to watch this remarkable intensive care unit. He is awake and
feat of surgery. Though Dr. Elefteria- well. His wife stands by his bed, over-
des is an old hand with hypothermic joyed to have him back.
T
arrest, he says that every time feels
like a leap of faith. Once circulation O CURE ESMAIL, the surgeons
has come to a standstill, he has no had to come close to killing
more than about 45 minutes before himusing profound hypo-
irreversible damage to the patients thermia to buy his survival. Within a
brain occurs. Without the induced century, we have come to understand
hypothermia, he would have just four. the process that killed Robert Falcon
The doctor lays the stitches down Scottand learned how to use it
elegantly and efficiently, making to our advantage. Esmail and Anna
every movement count. He has to cut are living proof that these physical
out the diseased section of the aorta, extremes can cure as well as kill.
EXTREME MEDICINE, BY KEVIN FONG, MD, COPYRIGHT 2014 BY KEVIN FONG, IS PUBLISHED BY THE PENGUIN PRESS,
A MEMBER OF PENGUIN GROUP (USA) LLC, PENGUIN.COM.
HIGH FASHION
rd.com | 092014 | 95
WHAT ITS LIKE ...
To Notify a Nobel
Prize Winner
BY TOM W H I P P L E F R OM I NT E L L I GE NT L I FE
Re
If we want our kids to be their
smartest, bravest, and most
creative and independent selves,
The
weve got to let them play with fire
volution
Will Not Be
Supervised BY H ANNA ROS IN FR O M T H E ATL A N TIC
A
TRIO OF BOYS tramps along the length of a wooden fence,
back and forth, shouting like carnival barkers. The Land! It
opens in half an hour. When the gate finally swings open, the
boys and about a dozen other children race directly to their
favorite spots. Is this a junkyard? asks my five-year-old son,
Gideon, who has come with me to visit. Not exactly, I tell
him. The Land is a playground that takes up nearly an acre at the far end of a
quiet housing development in North Wales. Its only two years old but could
just as well have been here for decades. The ground is muddy in spots and,
at one end, slopes down steeply to a creek. The center of the playground is
dominated by a high pile of tires that is growing ever smaller as a redheaded
girl and her friend roll them down the hill and into the creek. Why are you
rolling tires into the water? my son asks. Because we are, the girl replies.
rd.com | 092014 | 99
T H E R E VO LU T I O N W I L L N OT B E S U P E RV I S E D
O
low parents back home a video of kids
ther than some walls lit lighting fires, the most common sen-
up with graffiti, there are tence I heard from them was This is
no bright colors or any- insane. That might explain why there
thing else that belongs to are so few adventure playgrounds left
the usual playground landscape: no around the world and why a newly
shiny metal slide, no yellow seesaw established one, such as the Land,
with a central ballast to make sure no feels like an act of defiance.
one falls off, no rubber bucket swing The Land is staffed by profession-
for babies. There is, however, a frayed ally trained playworkers, who keep
rope swing that carries you over the a close eye on the kids but dont in-
creek and deposits you on the other tervene all that much. Claire Griffiths,
side, if you can make it that far (oth- the manager, describes her job as
erwise, it deposits you in the creek). loitering with intent. Although the
On this day, the kids seem excited by a playworkers almost never stop the
walker that was donated by one of the kids from what theyre doing, before
elderly neighbors and is repurposed, the playground had even opened, the
at different moments, as a scooter, a workers had filled binders with risk
jail cell, and a gymnastics bar. benefits assessments for nearly every
The Land is an adventure play- activity. (In the two years since the
ground. In the United Kingdom, Land opened, no one has been injured
such playgrounds became popular outside of the occasional scraped
in the 1940s as a result of the efforts knee.) Heres the list of benefits for
of Lady Marjory Allen of Hurtwood, fire: It can be a social experience to
a landscape architect and childrens sit around with friends, make friends,
Even though women work vastly this isnt true, or at least not in the way
more hours now than they did in the that we think. Maybe the real ques-
1970s, mothersand fathersspend tions are, How did these fears come
much more time with their children to have such a hold over us? And what
than they used to. My own mother have our children lostand gained
didnt work all that much when I was as weve succumbed to them?
younger, but she didnt spend vast In 1978, a toddler named Frank
amounts of time with me either. She Nelson made his way to the top of a
didnt arrange my playdates or drive 12-foot slide in Hamlin Park in Chicago,
me to swimming lessons. On week- with his mother a few steps behind
him. The structure was known as a
tornado slide because it twisted on
We cant create the perfect the way down. But the boy never
environment for our kids made it that far. He fell through
the gap between the handrail and
any more than we can the steps and landed on his head
create the perfect kids. on the asphalt. A year later, his
parents sued the Chicago Park
District and the two companies
days after school, she just expected that had manufactured and installed
me to show up for dinner; on week- the slide. Frank had fractured his skull
ends, I barely saw her at all. I, on the in the fall and suffered permanent
other hand, might easily spend every brain damage. He was forced to wear
waking Saturday hour with one, if not a helmet all the time to protect his
all three, of my children, taking one to fragile skull.
a soccer game, the second to a theater The Nelsons lawsuit was one of
program, the third to a friends house, a number that fueled a backlash
or I might just hang out with them at against potentially dangerous play-
home. When my daughter was about ground equipment. Theodora Briggs
ten, my husband suddenly realized Sweeney, a consumer advocate and
that in her whole life, she had prob- safety consultant from John Carroll
ably spent not more than ten minutes University, became a public crusader
unsupervised by an adult. Not ten for playground reform. The name of
minutes in ten years. the playground game will continue to
When you ask parents why they be Russian roulette, with the child as
are more protective than their par- unsuspecting victim, Sweeney wrote
ents were, they might answer that the in 1979. She was concerned about
world is more dangerous now than it many thingsthe height of slides, the
was when they were growing up. But space between railings, the danger of
loose S-shaped hooks that hold parts their way around tricky physical or
togetherbut what she worried about social and emotional situations.
most was asphalt and dirt. Sweeney Whats lost amid all this protection?
declared that lab simulations showed Ellen Sandseter, a professor of early
children could die from a fall of as childhood education, observed and
little as a foot if their head hit asphalt interviewed children on playgrounds.
or three feet if their head hit dirt. In 2011, she published her results. Chil-
A
dren, she concluded, have a sensory
federal government report need to taste danger and excitement;
around that time found this doesnt mean that what they do has
that tens of thousands to actually be dangerous, only that they
of children were turning feel they are taking a great risk. That
up in the emergency room each year scares them, but then they overcome
because of playground accidents. As the fear. Sandseter identifies six kinds
a result, in 1981 the U.S. Consumer of risky play: 1. Exploring heights, or
Product Safety Commission published getting the birds perspective, as she
the first Handbook for Public Play- calls ithigh enough to evoke the sen-
ground Safety, a short set of general sation of fear. 2. Handling dangerous
guidelines to govern the equipment. toolsusing sharp scissors or knives,
In January 1985, the Chicago Park or heavy hammers that at first seem
District settled the suit with the unmanageable but that kids learn to
Nelsons. Frank Nelson was guar- master. 3. Being near dangerous ele-
anteed a minimum of $9.5 million. mentsplaying near vast bodies of wa-
Park departments all over the coun- ter or near a fire, so kids are aware there
try began removing equipment newly is danger nearby. 4. Rough-and-tumble
considered dangerous. The cultural play wrestling and play fightingso
understanding of acceptable risk began kids learn to negotiate aggression
to shift, until any known risk became and cooperation. 5. Speedcycling or
nearly synonymous with hazard. skiing at a pace that feels too fast.
At the core of the safety obses- 6. Exploring on ones own.
sion is a view of children that is the The final irony is that our close at-
exact opposite of Lady Allens, an tention to safety has not in fact made
idea that children are too fragile a tremendous difference in the num-
or unintelligent to assess the risk ber of accidents children have. The
of any given situation, argues Tim number of emergency room visits
Gill, author of No Fear, a critique related to playground equipment, in-
of our risk-averse society. Now cluding home equipment, in 1980 was
our working assumption is that 156,000, or one visit per 1,452 Ameri-
children cannot be trusted to find cans. In 2012, it was 271,475 visits, or
one per 1,156 Americans. The number tion school, homework, after-school
of deaths hasnt changed much either. classes, organized playdates, sports
Head injuries, a fatal fall onto a rock teams coached by a fellow parent, and
most of the horrors that Sweeney de- very little free, unsupervised time. The
scribed all those years ago turn out to result is a continuous and ultimately
be freakishly rare. dramatic decline in childrens oppor-
T
tunities to play and explore in their
he category on Sandseters own chosen ways, writes Peter Gray,
list that likely makes this a psychologist at Boston College.
generation of parents most When Claire Griffiths, the Lands
nervous is the one involving manager, applies for grants to fund
childrens straying from adult super- her play spaces, she often lists the
vision. Parents these days have little advantages of enticing kids outside:
tolerance for childrens wandering on combating obesity, developing motor
their own, for reasons that, much like skills. She also talks about the issue
the fear of playground injuries, have Lady Allen talked about all those years
their roots in the 1970s. In 1979, nine agoencouraging children to take
months after Frank Nelson fell off that risks so they build their confidence.
slide, six-year-old Etan Patz left his But the more nebulous benefits
familys New York apartment to walk of a freer child culture are harder to
by himself to the school-bus stop. He explain, even though experiments
never came home. The Etan Patz case bear them out. For example, begin-
launched the era of the ubiquitous ning in 2011, Swanson Primary School
missing child. in New Zealand suspended all play-
But abduction cases like Etan Patzs ground rules, allowing the kids to run,
were incredibly uncommon a genera- climb trees, slide down a hill, jump off
tion ago and remain so today. What swings, and play in a loose-parts pit
has changed is the nature of the Amer- that was like a mini adventure play-
ican family and the broader sense of ground. The teachers feared chaos, but
community. For a variety of reasons in fact what they got was less naughti-
divorce, more single-parent families, ness and bullyingbecause the kids
more mothers workingboth families were too busy and engaged to want to
and neighborhoods have lost some of cause trouble, the principal said.
their cohesion. Trust in general has Kyung-Hee Kim, an educational
eroded, and parents have sought to psychologist at the College of William
control more closely what they can: & Mary, has analyzed results from the
their children. Ask any of my parent- Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking
ing peers to chronicle a week in their and found that, over the past decade
childs life, and they will likely men- or more, American children have
become less emotionally expressive, pushed down the slope that led to
less energetic, less talkative and ver- the creek. A kids head poked out of
bally expressive, less humorous, less the top, and I realized it was my sons.
imaginative, less unconventional, less Even by my relatively laissez-faire
lively and passionate, less perceptive, parenting standards, the situation
less apt to connect seemingly irrel- seemed dicey. The slope was very
evant things, less synthesizing, and steep, and Christian, the kid who was
less likely to see things from a differ- doing the pushing, was only seven.
ent angle. The largest drop has been Also, the creek was frigid, and I had
in the measure of elaboration, or no change of clothes for Gideon.
the ability to take an idea and expand You might fall in the creek, said
on it in a novel way. Practicing psy- Christian.
chologists have also written about the I know, said Gideon.
unique identity crisis that this genera- Christian had already taught
tion facesa fear of growing up and, Gideon how to climb up to the high-
in the words of Brooke Donatone, a est slide and manage the rope swing.
New York Citybased therapist, an At this point, hed earned some trust.
inability to think for themselves. Ill push you gently, OK?
Researchers have started pushing Ready, steady, go! Gideon said in
back against parental control. But the response. Down he went and landed
real cultural shift has to come from in the creek. In my experience, Gideon
parents. We can no more create the is very finicky about water. He hates to
perfect environment for our children have even a drop land on his sleeve
than we can create perfect children. while hes brushing his teeth. I began
To believe otherwise is a delusion, scheming how to get him new clothes.
and a harmful one; remind yourself Could I knock on a neighbors door?
of that every time the panic rises. Or persuade him to sit awhile with the
As the sun set over the Land, I no- boys by the fire?
ticed out of the corner of my eye a Im wet, Gideon said to Christian,
gray binlike the kind you would and then they raced over to claim
keep your recycling inabout to be some hammers to build a new fort.
THE ATLANTIC (MARCH 19, 2014). COPYRIGHT 2014 BY THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY GROUP, THEATLANTIC.COM.
A nervous wreck.
BY G L EN N G L ASS E R
Amanda Gefter
C A M B R I D G E , M A S SAC H U S E T TS
Source: web.orange.co.uk
Judging
Jack BY DAV I D M CC U L LO U G H J R .
F R O M T H E B O O K YO U A R E N OT S P E C I A L
LET ME TELL YOU about a recent student of mine. Well call him Jack.
Hes a quiet boy, our Jack, self-possessed, responsible enough generally,
amply courteous, eminently likable. In my normative-level senior litera-
ture class, he was attentive and receptive but disinclined to push himself. He
found a comfortable pace and stuck with it. The snarky might be tempted
to condemn him as undistinguished, B/C+, just another kidany of
these tantamount, in the current climate, to pretty heavy condemna-
tion. More and more of late, I find myself compelled to defend kids like
Jack, even to other teachers, some of whom seem to hold in a museum-lit
shrine an image of the Ideal Student to which they expect all those of the
flesh-and-blood variety to aspire. Anything short of that is a disappoint-
ment, a personal affront, a sign, even, of a deficient character. Superlative
strikes his fancy, he sits down and the itch was not entirely scratched.
makes a model. If it takes a week, it Realized that the ride had a left side
takes a week. If the phone rings, he lets and a right and a back, so he drew
it. If the homework gets short shrift, them too. When he was done, there
so be it. And they are exquisite, these they lay on the table, four sheets of
Jack originals. They are beautifully, paper with drawings on them. Then
masterly done. You should see them. he had an idea, a delighted little zing:
Everyone should see themthe Faberg The ride doesnt lie flat on a table. It
eggs of paper sports cars and Millen- stands upright. It has three dimen-
nium Falcons. On that note, though, sions. He went for scissors and tape.
Jack doesnt seem to care much either Voil.
way. Its nice that people like them, but Bliss does not have to be big and
thats not why he does it. The fun, the important. Nor must it bring one
satisfaction, is in the doing. accolades of any luster to matter. Bliss
It began a few years earlier. His fam- is more than its own reward. And
ily was on vacation at the Jersey Shore. while rare is the acorn that becomes
Time ran short at an amusement park, an oak tree, every oak tree, every last
if I have it right, and Jack was unable one, began as an acorn you could pick
to go on a ride hed been eager to try. up and put in your pocket.
The family headed for the car with a Whether Jack goes on to become an
crestfallen kid in towwhich, Ill point artist or an architect or an engineer
out, is a kid for you: Fun all day at an or anything else directly consequent
amusement park, and hes glum about to his enthusiasm for model making
the one ride he didnt get to go on. does not matter. He has learned some-
Well, thinks the parent, too bad. But, thing about passion, about focus,
thinks the kid, I really, really, really about clearing a space in his life and
wanted to go on that ride. Mid-mope, doing what he does purely because he
Jack gets back to wherever it is theyre loves and believes in it. He has honed
staying and, not knowing why, reaches a set of abilities too. Developed stan-
for pencil and paper and creates a me- dards of his own measure and sees
ticulously detailed drawing of the ride, to it that he meets them. He knows,
a longing drawing, a demonstration of then, the satisfactions of seeing with
frustrated ardor. A love letter. And, he purpose, conceiving ideas, dedicat-
realized at the end, it came out great. It ing himself to them, and producing
was fun to do. Time and the world had good work. In choosing and doing for
vanished. Finished, he looked at the himself, he earns his confidence and
picture. Felt a measure of pride in his self-worth. Very good things, these,
handiwork. Realized sitting there that and, I hope, lifelong.
YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL, BY DAVID MCCULLOUGH JR., COPYRIGHT 2014 BY DAVID MCCULLOUGH, IS PUBLISHED BY ECCO BOOKS,
AN IMPRINT OF HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS, ECCOBOOKS.COM.
Late
The
Bloomer
Phenomenon
BY MA LCO L M G L A DW ELL FR O M T H E BO O K W H AT T H E D OG SAW
BEN FOUNTAIN WAS AN ASSOCIATE in the real estate practice at the Dallas
offices of Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld, just a few years out of law school,
when he decided he wanted to write fiction. The only thing Fountain had ever
published was a law-review article. He had tried to write when he came home at
night after work, but usually he was too tired. He decided to quit his job.
I was tremendously apprehensive, Fountain recalls. I felt like Id stepped off
a cliff and didnt know if the parachute was going to open. I was doing well at the
practice of law. And my parents were very proud of me It was crazy.
He began his new life on a February morninga Monday. He sat down at
his kitchen table at 7:30 a.m. He made a plan. Every day, he would write until
lunchtime. Then he would lie down on the floor for 20 minutes to rest his mind.
Then he would return to work for a few more hours. I treated it like a job. I
did not procrastinate, he says. His first story was about a stockbroker who
uses inside information and crosses Gump in 1988. For every story he pub-
a moral line. It was 60 pages long lished in those early years, he had at
and took him three months to write. least 30 rejections. The novel that he
When he finished that story, he wrote put away in a drawer took him four
anotherand then another. years. His breakthrough with Brief
In his first year, Fountain sold two Encounters came in 2006, 18 years after
stories. He gained confidence. He he first sat down to write at his kitchen
wrote a novel. He decided it wasnt very table. The young writer took the liter-
good, and he ended up putting it in a ary world by storm at the age of 48.
drawer. Meanwhile, he got a short story
published in Harpers. A New York lit-
erary agent saw it and signed him up.
He put together a collection of short
G enius, in the popular concep-
tion, is inextricably tied up with
precocitydoing something truly
stories titled Brief Encounters with Che creative requires the exuberance and
Guevara, and Ecco, a HarperCollins energy of youth. Orson Welles made
imprint, published it. It was named his masterpiece, Citizen Kane, at 25.
one of the best books of the year by the Herman Melville wrote a book a year
San Francisco Chronicle, the Chicago through his late 20s, culminating at
Tribune, and Kirkus Reviews and drew age 32 with Moby-Dick. Mozart wrote
comparisons with the works of Graham his breakthrough Piano Concerto
Greene, Evelyn Waugh, Robert Stone, No. 9 in E-Flat Major at the age of 21.
and John le Carr. His second novel, How old was T. S. Eliot when he wrote
Billy Lynns Long Halftime Walk, was The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock
published to glowing reviews and (I grow old I grow old)? Twenty-
received the National Book Critics three. Poets peak young, creativity
Circle Award for fiction. researcher James Kaufman maintains.
Ben Fountains rise sounds like a A few years ago, David Galenson,
familiar story: The young man sud- an economist at the University of
denly takes the literary world by storm. Chicago, examined this assumption.
But Ben Fountains success was far He looked through 47 major poetry
ILLUSTRATION BY JOE MCKENDRY
from sudden. He quit his job at Akin, anthologies published since 1980 and
counted the poems that appear most
frequently. The top 11 are, in order,
Malcolm Gladwell T. S. Eliots Prufrock, Robert Lowells
is a journalist and the
Skunk Hour, Robert Frosts Stop-
bestselling author of five
books. He has been a staff ping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,
writer at the New Yorker William Carlos Williamss Red Wheel-
since 1996. barrow, Elizabeth Bishops The Fish,
Ezra Pounds The River Merchants
Wife, Sylvia Plaths Daddy, Pounds the prodigy. His career as a serious
In a Station of the Metro, Frosts artist began around age 20. In short
Mending Wall, Wallace Stevenss order, he painted many of the great-
The Snow Man, and Williamss The est works of his careerincluding
Dance. Those 11 were composed at Les Demoiselles dAvignon, at the
the ages of 23, 41, 48, 40, 29, 30, 30, 28, age of 25. Picasso fit our usual ideas
38, 42, and 59, respectively. There is no about genius perfectly.
evidence, Galenson concluded, for Czanne didnt. If you go to the
the notion that poetry is Czanne room at the
a young persons game. Muse dOrsay, in Paris,
Forty-two percent of the array of master-
Frosts anthologized
The paintings pieces youll find along
poems were written after Czanne created the back wall were all
he was 50. For Williams, in his mid-60s painted at the end of
its 44 percent. For Ste- are valued 15 his career. The works
vens, its 49 percent. he created in his mid-
times as highly
The same was true 60s, Galenson found,
of film and literature, as his earliest are valued 15 times as
Galenson points out in works. highly as those he cre-
Old Masters and Young ated as a young man.
Geniuses: The Two Life The freshness, exuber-
Cycles of Artistic Cre- ance, and energy of youth
ativity. Yes, Orson did little for Czanne. He
Welles peaked as a was a late bloomer.
P ROP STYLIST: SARAH GUIDO FOR HALLEY RES OURCES
before long, he realized that he had a the importance given to the word
fascination with Haiti. The Haiti file research, Picasso once said in an in-
just kept getting bigger, Fountain terview with the artist Marius de Zayas.
says. And I thought, OK, heres my In my opinion, to search means noth-
novel. After a couple of months, I ing in painting. To find is the thing.
thought, Yeah, youve got to go there, But late bloomers, Galenson says,
and so I went, in April or May of 91. tend to work the other way around.
He spoke little French, let alone Their approach is experimental.
Haitian Creole. He had never been Their goals are imprecise, so their
abroad. Nor did he know anyone who procedure is tentative and incremen-
lived there. Fountain was riveted by tal, Galenson writes in Old Masters
Haiti. Everything thats gone on in and Young Geniuses.
the past 500 yearscolonialism, race, An experimental innovator would
power, politics, ecological disasters go back to Haiti 30 times. Thats
its all there in very concentrated how that kind of mind figures out
form, he says. And also I just felt, vis- what it wants to do. When Czanne
cerally, pretty comfortable there. He was painting a portrait of the critic
made more trips to Haiti, sometimes Gustave Geffroy, he made him endure
for a week, sometimes for two weeks. 80 sittings, over three months, before
He made friends. He invited them to announcing the project a failure. He
visit him in Dallas. (You havent lived would paint a scene, then repaint it,
until youve had Haitians stay in your then paint it again. He was notorious
house, Fountain says.) for slashing his canvases to pieces in
In Brief Encounters with Che Gue- fits of frustration.
vara, four of the stories are about
Haiti, and they are the strongest in
the collection. After the novel was
done, I just felt like there was more
G alensons idea that creativity can
be divided into these types
conceptual and experimentalhas
for me, and I could keep going, keep a number of important implications.
going deeper there, Fountain recalls. For example, we sometimes think of
How many times have I been? At late bloomers as late starters. They
least 30. dont realize theyre good at some-
Prodigies like Picasso, Galenson thing until theyre 50, so of course
argues, rarely engage in that kind of they achieve late in life. But thats
open-ended exploration. They tend to not quite right. Czanne was painting
be conceptual, Galenson says, in the almost as early as Picasso was. We also
sense that they start with a clear idea of sometimes think of them as artists
where they want to go, and then they who are discovered late. In both cases,
execute it. I can hardly understand the assumption is that the prodigy
and the late bloomer are fundamen- 2002 bestseller Everything Is Illumi-
tally the same and that late blooming nated. Fountain is a graying man, slight
is simply genius under conditions of and modest. Foer is in his early 30s and
market failure. What Galensons argu- looks barely old enough to drink.
ment suggests is something else: that I came to writing really by the back
late bloomers bloom late because door, Foer said. My wife is a writer,
they simply arent much good until and she grew up keeping journals
late in their careers. you know, parents said, Lights out,
This is the vexing les- time for bed, and she
son of Fountains long had a little flashlight
attempt to get noticed Prodigies under the covers, read-
by the literary world. ing books. I dont think I
advertise their
On the road to great read a book until much
achievement, the late genius from the later than other people.
bloomer will resemble get-go. Late I just wasnt interested
a failure: While the late bloomers require in it.
bloomer is revising and
forbearance and Foer went to Prince-
changing course and ton and took a creative-
slashing canvases to blind faith. writing class in his
ribbons after months freshman year w ith
or years, what he or Joyce Carol Oates. It
she produces will look was, he explained, sort
like the kind of thing of on a whim, maybe
produced by the art- out of a sense that
ist who will never I should have a di-
bloom at all. verse course load.
Prodigies ad- Hed never written
vertise their genius a story before. Half-
from the get-go. Late way through the se-
bloomers require forbear- mester, I arrived to class
ance and blind faith. (Lets be early one day, and she said,
thankful that Czanne didnt have a Oh, Im glad I have this chance to talk
guidance counselor in high school to you. Im a fan of your writing. And
who looked at his primitive sketches it was a real revelation for me.
and told him to try accounting.) As a sophomore, he took another
creative-writing class. During the fol-
from. After the trip, he went to Prague. feeling you get when you read Brief
There he read Kafka, as any literary Encounters with Che Guevarathe
undergraduate would, and sat down sense of transport you experience
at his computer. when a work of literature draws you
I was just writing, he said. I didnt into its own world. Both are works
go with the intention of writing a book. of art. Its just that, as artists, Foun-
I wrote 300 pages in ten weeks. Id tain and Foer could not be less alike.
never done that. Fountain went to Haiti 30 times. Foer
It was a novel about went to the Ukrainian
a boy named Jonathan village just once.
Safran Foer who visits a Late bloomers
village in Ukraine called
Trachimbrod, where his
grandfather had come
stories are love
stories, and
B en Fountain did not
make the decision
to quit the law and be-
from. Those 300 pages this may be why come a writer all by
were the first draft of we have such himself. He is married
Everything Is Illumi-
difficulty with and has a family. He
natedthe exquisite met his wife, Sharon,
and extraordinary novel them. when they were both in
that established Foer as law school at Duke.
one of the most distinc- When he was doing real
tive literary voices of his estate work at Akin,
generation. He was 19 Gump, she was becom-
years old. ing a partner in the tax
Foer began to talk practice at Thompson
about the other way of & Knight. They got
writing books, where married in 1985 and
you honed your craft, had a son in April 1987.
over years and years. In 1989, they had a sec-
I couldnt do that, he ond child, a daughter.
said. He seemed puzzled by Fountain had become a
it. It was clear that he had no under- stay-at-home dad with a rigorous
standing of how being an experimental writing regimen.
innovator would work. I mean, imag- When Ben first did this, we talked
ine if the craft youre trying to learn is about, generally, When will we know
to be an original. How could you learn that it really isnt working? and Id
the craft of being an original? say, Well, give it ten years, Sharon
If you read Everything Is Illumi- recalls. It takes a while to decide
nated, you end up with the same whether you like something or not,
she says. And when ten years became might well have said no to her hus-
12 and then 14 and then 16, and the bands repeated trips to Haiti.
kids were off in high school, she But she believed in her husbands
stood by him because she was con- art, or perhaps, more simply, she be-
fident that he was getting better. She lieved in her husband, the same way
was fine with the trips to Haiti too. I Louis-Auguste must have believed in
cant imagine writing a novel about Czanne. Late bloomers stories are
a place you havent at least tried to invariably love stories, and this may
visit, she says. be why we have such difficulty with
Sharon was Bens wife. But she was them. Wed like to think that mundane
alsoto borrow a term from long matters like loyalty, steadfastness, and
agohis patron. If you are the type the willingness to keep writing checks
of creative mind who starts without to support what looks like failure have
a plan and has to experiment and nothing to do with something as rar-
learn by doing, you need someone efied as genius. But sometimes genius
to see you through the long and dif- is anything but rarefied; sometimes
ficult time it takes for your art to reach its just the thing that emerges after 20
its true level. Czanne, too, had an years of working at your kitchen table.
extraordinary list of patrons, which Sharon never once brought up
included his father, the banker Louis- money, not oncenever, Fountain
Auguste. says. She is sitting next to him, and
This is the final lesson of the late he looks at her in a way that makes it
bloomer: His or her success is highly plain that he understands how much
contingent on the efforts of others. of the credit for Brief Encounters
Louis-Auguste didnt have to support belongs to his wife. His eyes well with
Czanne all those years. He would tears. I never felt any pressure from
have been within his rights to make her, he says. Not even covert, not
his son get a real job, just as Sharon even implied.
WHAT THE DOG SAW, COPYRIGHT 2010 BY MALCOLM GLADWELL, IS PUBLISHED BY LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY;
LITTLEBROWN.COM.
Why
America
Loves a Con
Man
BY JA MES SU R OWI ECKI
FR OM T HE N EW YORKER
The curious thing, as the Univer- was fuzzy. Take the building of the
sity of Pennsylvania historian Walter American railroads, which both
McDougall writes, is that far from spurred industrialization and laid the
despising flimflam artists as parasites foundation for a truly national econ-
or worse, American popular culture omy. When the Central Pacific Railroad
habitually celebrates rascals as come- (the western spur of the transcontinen-
dic figures. Think of the movies of tal railroad) was built, the four men
W. C. Fields and the who started it, including
Marx Brothers; think Leland Stanford, set up
of The Sting and Dirty an outside construction
Rotten Scoundrels. Even Steve Jobss company in which they
bleaker depictions, like scripting were the sole sharehold-
David Mamets, get us
to admire the dexterity
and endless ers, and they used that
company to milk the
with which con artists rehearsals of Central Pacific for mil-
persuade people to part presentations lions of dollars in excess
with their money. are straight construction costs. The
It seems that con art- from the building of the Union
ists, for all their vices, Pacific Railroad led to
represent many of the
con artists the same kind of self-
virtues that Americans playbook. d e a l i ng a n d p o cke t
aspire to. Con artists lining and reckless over-
are independent and building, while railroad
typically self-made. They dont have financiers like Jay Gould made enor-
to kowtow to a bossno small thing mous sums via stock schemes and
in a country in which people have dubious takeovers. The result was one
always longed to strike out on their of the biggest cons the country has
own. They succeed or fail based on ever seen, with huge losses for inves- P REVIOUS PAGE: EVERETT COLLECTI ON
their wits. They exemplify, in short, tors and a fortune for the moguls. Still,
the complicated nature of American we ended up with a national transpor-
capitalism, which, as McDougall ar- tation system.
gues, has depended on people being In the 20th century, the relation-
hustlers in both the positive and the ship between commerce and con
negative sense. The American econ- artistry became subtler. Never mind
omy wasnt built just on good ideas the out-and-out scammers, from
and hard work. It was also built on Charles Ponzi to Bernard Madoff,
hope and hype. or the long history of questionable
In the 19th century especially, the behavior on Wall Street. Entrepre-
line between crook and businessman neurs have skills that are very much
like those of the con men. To raise often unlikely) futures is essential.
money to start a business, youve got The greatest business icon of our
to sell an imagined futurea dream. era, Steve Jobs, was legendary for his
Before building a single car, Henry reality-distortion field, which al-
Ford had to persuade his major sup- lowed him to convince people that
plier to take stock in lieu of cash improbable outcomes were not just
because he didnt have the money to possible but also certain. Jobss end-
pay for thousands of dollars worth less rehearsals for his public pre-
of parts. sentations and his scripting of every
As the sociologist Alex Preda writes, moment for maximum effectthese
Talent for persuasion is key: After are all straight from the con artists
all, the public must be convinced to playbook. So, too, is the sense of con-
part with their money on the basis of viction he projected. In Weinbergs
the simple promise that an idea will words, Before you sell a deal, you
yield profit in the future. Successful have to live the deal. You have to
entrepreneurship involves huckster- believe in it because if you dont be-
ism, the ability to convince investors lieve in it, you cant sell it.
and employees that they should risk Of course, the fundamental differ-
their money, their time, and their ence between entrepreneurs and con
effort on you. Like a con artist, youre artists is that con artists ultimately
peddling optimism. As Mel Wein- know that the fantasies theyre sell-
berg (the model for Christian Bales ing are lies. Steve Jobs, often enough,
character in American Hustle) put could make those fantasies come true.
it in Robert Greenes book The Sting Still, that unquantifiable mlange of
Man, Its my philosophy to give risk, hope, and hype provides both the
hope Thats why most people dont capitalists formula for transforming
turn us in to the cops. They keep hopin the world and the con artists strata-
were for real. gem for turning your money into his
In a dynamic economy, getting money. Maybe theres a reason we talk
people to wager on unknowable (and about the American Dream.
THE NEW YORKER (JANUARY 13, 2014), COPYRIGHT 2014 BY COND NAST. NEWYORKER.COM.
Myths About
the Worlds
Poor
BY B I L L AND M E LINDA GATES
FR OM TH E G ATES FO U N DAT I O N 2 01 4 A N N UA L L E T T ER
BY ALMOST ANY MEASURE, the world is better off now than it has
ever been. Extreme poverty has been cut in half over the past 25 years,
child mortality rates are plunging around the globe, and many of the
countries that have long relied on foreign aid are now self-sufficient.
So why do so many people seem to think things are getting worse?
Much of the reason is because theyre in the grip of three deeply dam-
aging myths about global poverty and development. But the belief
that the world is getting worse isnt 50 years ago now includes more than
just mistakenits also detrimental. half of the worlds population.
It stalls progress and blinds us to the This holds true even in Africa. Since
opportunity we have to create a world 1998, income per person has climbed
where almost everyone has a chance by two thirdsfrom just over $1,300
to prosper. then to nearly $2,200 today. Seven
of the ten fastest-growing econo-
1 Doomed
Poor Countries Are
to Stay Poor
Incomes and other measures of wel-
mies from the past half decade are in
Africa.
We are optimistic enough that
fare are rising almost everywhere. Take were willing to make a prediction:
Mexico City. In 1987, when we first By 2035, there will be almost no poor
visited, most homes lacked running countries left in the world. Yes, a few
water, and we saw people trekking to countries will be held back by war,
fill up water jugs; it reminded us of political realities (such as North
P REVIOUS PAGE: FREDERI C COURBET/COURTESY BI LL & M ELI NDA GATES FOU NDATION
rural Africa. The guy who ran Micro- Korea), or geography (such as land-
softs Mexico City office would send locked states in central Africa). And
his kids back to the United States inequality will still be a problem. But
for checkups to make sure the smog every country in South America, Asia,
wasnt making them sick. and Central America (except perhaps
Today, the city is mind-blowingly Haiti)and most in coastal Africa
different, boasting high-rise build- will be middle-income nations. More
ings, cleaner air, and new roads and than 70 percent of countries will have
bridges. You still find pockets of pov- a higher per-person income than
erty, but when we visit, we think, China does today.
Wow, most people here are middle-
classwhat a miracle. You can see
a similar transformation in Nairobi,
New Delhi, Shanghai, and many other
2 Foreign Aid
Is a Waste
We worry about this myth. It gives
cities. In our lifetime, the global pic- leaders an excuse to cut back on aid
ture of poverty has been completely and that would mean fewer lives saved
redrawn. Since 1960, Chinas income and more time before countries can
per person has gone up eightfold. become self-sufficient. Foreign aid is
Indias has quadrupled, Brazils has a phenomenal investment. It doesnt
almost quintupled, and tiny Botswana, just save lives; it also lays the ground-
thanks to shrewd management of work for lasting, long-term progress.
its mineral resources, has seen a Many people think that foreign aid
30-fold increase. A new class of middle- is a large part of rich countries bud-
income nations that barely existed gets. When pollsters ask Americans
Melinda Gates meets women and children in Dedaur in central India, January 2013.
P RASHANT PANJ IAR/COURTESY BI LL & M ELI NDA GATES FOUN DATION
what share goes to aid, the most eliminate waste from every business
common response is 25 percent. In or government program. Many people
fact, it is less than 1 percent, or about call to end aid programs if one dol-
$30 billion a year. The U.S. govern- lar of corruption is found. However,
ment spends more than twice as four of the past seven governors of
much on farm subsidies as on interna- Illinois went to prison for corruption,
tional health aid; it spends more than and no one is demanding that the
60 times as much on the military. states schools or highways be closed.
One common complaint is that aid Critics also complain that aid keeps
gets wasted on corruption, and some countries dependent on outsiders
of it does. But the horror stories you generosity. But this argument focuses
hearwhere aid helped a dictator on the most difficult cases still strug-
build palacescome mostly from a gling for self-sufficiency. Here is a list
time when aid was designed to win of former recipients that have grown
Cold War allies rather than improve so much that they receive little aid
peoples lives. The problem today is today: Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Costa Rica,
much smaller. We should try to reduce Peru, Thailand, Mauritius, Botswana,
small-scale corruption, but we cant Morocco, Singapore, and Malaysia.
eliminate it, any more than we can Critics are right to say there is no
definitive proof that aid drives eco- child mortality rates started going
nomic growth. But we know that it down. In the 1970s, after the govern-
drives improvements in health, ag- ment invested in a family-planning
riculture, and infrastructure, which program, birthrates started to drop.
correlate strongly with long-run Over two decades, Thai women went
growth. Look at what aid has accom- from having six children on average to
plished: A baby born in 1960 had an two. Today, child mortality rates there
18 percent chance of dying before her are almost as low as they are in Amer-
fifth birthday. For a child born today, ica, and Thai women have an average
it is less than 5 percent; in 2035, it will of 1.6 children.
be 1.6 percent. We cant think of any This pattern of falling death rates
other 75-year improvement in welfare followed by falling birthrates applies
that even comes close. for most of the world. Saving lives
doesnt lead to overpopulation
If you cant beat them, arrange Dont cry over spilled milk.
to have them beaten. By this time tomorrow, itll
GEORGE CARLIN be free yogurt.
STEPHEN COLBERT
LILY TOMLIN
13 Things
Homeschoolers
Wont
Tell You
BY MI C HE L L E C R O U C H
8
Mashantucket, Connecticut; Dena Dyer of Granbury,
Texas; Kris Bales of Ringgold, Georgia, who blogs at
Were having more fun than you. weirdunsocializedhomeschoolers.com; Heather Bowen
of Lumberton, North Carolina, who blogs at frugalhome
On a school day, well make schoolfamily.com; Julie Anne Smith of Richland, Washington,
cookies to practice fractions and visit who blogs at spiritualsoundingboard.com; and Laura
Huber, author of The ABCs of Homeschooling; former
a museum to learn about history. homeschooling mother Vyckie Garrison; Richard Medlin,
PhD, psychologist at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida;
And we still have time for field trips, Milton Gaither, PhD, professor of education at Messiah
College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, and author of
some of them to other countries. Homeschool: An American History
When Scientists
Experiment on
Themselves
BY R E G I N A N U ZZO
treatment was
safe, Pritchards
research opened
the door to
getting permis-
sion to study
it further.
Current trials
are testing
W H E N S C I E N T I S T S E X P E R I M E N T O N T H E M S E LV E S
and his Stanford team have taken develop immunity without falling ill.
billions of measurements on Snyders The first wave of trials showed that
own body. Theyve analyzed everything an injectable, bite-free version of the
in his blood as well as his saliva, vaccine completely protected volun-
mucus, urine, and feces. Theyve teers against malaria. The vaccine is
sequenced his entire genome and now going through final tests in the
continue to take regular snapshots of United States, Europe, and Africa.
his DNA activity. Snyder was surprised
to learn of a genetic predisposition to Computer Virus
type 2 diabetesno one in his family In the Hand
had the disease. But after he contracted Are medical devices we put inside
a cold virus, he watched in shock as our bodies vulnerable to hackers?
his blood sugar climbed so high that What would happen if a terrorist
he developed a full-blown case of wrote a virus program that could
diabetes. Snyder believes that his stop all heart pacemakers? To find
genes predisposed him, but the out, British engineer Mark Gasson
viral infection triggered ita link implanted into his hand a tiny radio
that researchers continue to study. frequency identification chip, not
unlike the electronic tags used to
Feast for Malarial track pets. Then he infected the chip
Mosquitoes with a computer virus. Sure enough,
It took a bold move for researcher his chip not only contaminated its
Stephen Hoffman to develop immu- parent computer system but also
nity to malaria, which kills at least tried to spread its virus to other chips
half a million people worldwide every connected to the system. In other
year. He let a batch of 3,000 malarial words, our implanted devices might
mosquitoes feast on his arm. But indeed be vulnerable. Although
the mosquitoes had been bathed in Gasson was not in any physical
radiation, which weakened the para- danger, in a real-life scenario,
site that causes malaria (just like the a heart patient could have been.
polio vaccine carries a weakened His work paves the way to make
form of the virus), enabling him to medical devices safer for everyone.
A BETTER WEB
Netix should add a feature where your wife never goes out of
town and makes you wait to watch the shows.
@ALEXBLAGG
Could You
Be a Genius?
BY A BBI E F. SA L N Y F R O M A M E R I C A N M E N SA
Abbie F. Salny was the supervisory psychologist for American Mensa and Mensa
International for more than 25 years. Find out more about this organization for
knowledge seekers at americanmensa.org.
@ 4 mittens each = 12 x 18); 9. Strengths; 10. AIRMEN, MARINE, and REMAIN.
the preceding number); 7. Oranges cost 15 cents each; lemons cost 10 cents each; 8. 216 (3 kittens
2,000, / 5 = 400, / 10 = 40, + 1 = 41); 6. 16 (each number adds 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, respectively, to
her daughter); 3. Cherries (Tabitha likes food with only two syllables); 4. Rachel; 5. 41 (4,000 / 2 =
1. 1,155; 2. Janes daughter (Janes mothers husband is Janes father, his daughter is Jane, and Jill is
ANSWERS
The Dumbest
Thing I Ever Did
ITS COMFORTING to know that even the best and brightest among
us screw up. So we asked men and women at the tops of their fields
inventors, authors, athletes, entrepreneurs, academics, and moreto share
their boneheaded mistakes.
Lectured the Dalai Lama Ive ever saidtelling the Dalai Lama
DEAN ORNISH is president of the Pre- how to be more compassionate!
ventive Medicine Research Institute. And then he smiled and laughed
I had the honor of meeting His heartily and compassionatelythe
Holiness the Dalai Lama about 20 beautiful sounds that Jim Henson
years ago when he was staying with likely sampled for Yodas laughter
my close friends. He was interested in Star Wars.
in our research showing that a whole
foods plant-based diet could help Was a Video Game Victim
reverse certain chronic diseases. CHRISTIAN RUDDER is the cofounder
He said, I eat meat sometimes. I of the matchmaking site OkCupid
tried eating a vegetarian diet once, but and author of Dataclysm.
it didnt agree with my gallbladder. Many years ago at an arcade in
I replied, It must have been a Spring, Texas, I spent two hours in
high-fat vegetarian diet. What were front of Time Pilot without actually
you eating? playing the game. I was eight and
Mostly yak cheese and yak butter. didnt understand that my quarter
You could try a lower-fat plant- had run out. And so while the game
based diet. It is the most compassion- just ran itself in the same long loop,
ate way to eat. I mashed the buttons and pushed
As I said this, I immediately the joystick, thinking I was the
thought, That has to be the most master time-fighter. Only when a
ridiculous and presumptuous thing couple of older kids looked at me
which meant staying up very late at went to collect the rent the first time,
night catching up on work. The next it turned out the tenants didnt have
morning, I collapsed from exhaus- any money. In fact, they hadnt paid
tion and hit my head on the way rent in years. Lesson learned
down, cutting my eye and breaking Check the rent receipts!
my cheekbone. I wish I could go
back and tell my dumb, deluded self, Some Trouble with Math
in my thick Greek accent, Arianna, LAURENCE TRIBE is a professor
your performance will actually im- of constitutional law at Harvard
prove if you can commit not only to and coauthor of Uncertain Justice.
working hard but also to unplugging, The task for our tenth-grade physics
recharging, and renewing yourself. exam was to figure out the total
That would have saved me a lot area of contact between the rubber
of unnecessary stress and a lot of and the road of a hypothetical bike
unnecessary damage to my health. racing down a steep hill. The next
day, our teacher held my paper up
Call Me All Thumbs as an example in front of the class.
GEORGE SAUNDERS is the author He explained that while I did all the
of Congratulations, By the Way: calculations correctly, Id made one
Some Thoughts on Kindness. blunder: Id mistakenly multiplied
Ive never done anything dumb in everything by two because, as Id
my life, except nail-gunning myself written, all bicycles have four
in the palm that one time. identical wheels.
BY G L EN N G L ASS E R
Jonathan Rasouli, MD
N E W YO R K , N E W YO R K
Word Power
Are you smarter than a 12th grader? Weve been saving up these wordsfrom
the Princeton Reviews Word Smart: Genius Edition test-prep guidefor our
most confident quiz takers. Turn the page for answers.
BY EM ILY COX & H E NRY RATH VO N
Answers
1. umbrage[A] resentment. Why 9. sangfroid[B] coolness under
did your team take such umbrage at pressure. With unrelenting sangfroid,
being called the underdogs? Andrea remained a pro at the poker
table despite the high stakes.
2. sobriquet[A] nickname. Say,
Paul, how did you get the sobriquet 10. redoubtable[C] formidable.
Grumpy? The pitcher shuddered as the
redoubtable Albert Pujols strode
3. feckless[C] weak and ineffec-
to the plate.
tive. In formal debate, Oh, yeah? is
a rather feckless rebuttal. 11. imprecate[B] curse. Before
being banished, the witch ominously
4. bailiwick[A] special domain.
threatened to imprecate the town for
Ask me anything about grammar,
five generations.
the curmudgeonly copy editor said.
Thats my bailiwick. 12. modicum[A] small portion.
All I ask is a modicum of cooperation
5. onus[B] burden. The onus,
with the housework.
Mr. Peterson barked, is on your boys
to fix my broken window. 13. somnambulist[A] sleepwalker.
For a somnambulist, Lady Macbeth
6. ductile[B] easily shaped
is rather talkative.
or influenced. Decisive? No. Taras
opinions are sometimes as ductile 14. restive[C] fidgety. Peter got
as Play-Doh. so restive during
the SAT, he chewed
7. troglodyte
A STROKE OF his pencil almost
[A] cave dweller
Genius originally meant to the lead.
or reclusive person.
I wouldnt go so guardian spirit, from the 15. anomie[C]
far as to call Jerry Latin gignere (to beget, social instability.
to produce), and dates
a troglodyte, but Apparently theres
back to at least 1393. Its
hes definitely on related to the words genus, too much anomie
the shy side. gender, generation, and in Congress for the
even kinall suggestive of bill to be passed.
8. paean[C] song
birth. The modern meaning,
of praise. Let us
of a person endowed with VOCABULARY
raise a toast and a natural ability or talent, RATINGS
a rousing paean comes from Miltons 9 & below: Neophyte
to Jay and Cathys Iconoclastes (1649). 1012: Apprentice
wedding! 1315: Mastermind
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT ON
Rd.com
WHO KNEW? MOST RETWEETS
ON TWITTER
Hedy Lamarr
RECIPES
Invented BOOKS
Wi-Fi? Novel Nutella
Recipes to Try 9 Graphic
Close. With composer
George Antheil, the This Weekend Novels Every
brainy actress devised When it comes to the Grown-Up
a technique for chocolate-hazelnut Should Read
transmitting radio spread, theres One example: Mimi
signals over rapidly nutelling how creative Ponds funny story
changing frequencies, a recipe can get! Over Easy, which
later allowing for the Scoop up ten crowd- takes on the counter-
creation of Bluetooth pleasers, including culture scene of
and Wi-Fi. You can Salted Nutella Cookie 1970s California via
thank her every time Bars, which we found a coffee shop and
you read rd.com on a few of our offers an original view
on your phone. favorite food blogs. of the birth of an artist.
AG I N G W E L L
Extraordinary
Uses for the
How to Look Younger
GETTY IM AGES (LAMA RR). ALAMY (C REAM S)
Junk in Your
We got top dermatologists and plastic
surgeons to reveal some simple antiaging tricks
Garage
that could put them out of business. I can give Move plants around
you an eyelid lift, but Ive seen patients get similar the garden with the
results with an over-the-counter firming serum help of your kids
and eyelid-lift cream, confessed one. They sled; repurpose an old
do work to reduce lines and puffiness. golf bag to store and
carry tools. Plus, find a
dozen clever ways to
recycle bottles, cans,
and empty cardboard
tubes into useful (and
free!) organizers.
RE A D U P AT R D.CO M /S E P T E M B ER
The Dinner
Dilemma
316 fast, easy entrees.
HOMEMADE IN A HURRY! One for every weeknight of the year.
* 30 Minutes to Dinner
* 5 Simple Ingredients Feed your family fast with quick, wholesome
* Skillet Sensations meals theyll love. Easy Weeknight Dinners
* Sizzle & Sear Entrees dishes out 316 fast-to-x recipesand 170 of
* Leave It to the Oven
* No-Fuss Slow Cooker
them are table-ready in just 30 minutes. Serve
* Breakfast for Dinner up smiles with delicious dishes created by real
BONUS: Desserts, Sides & More! home cooks like you.
Easy to apply
no-mess applicator
Save
Available in the
$2.00
on Kerasal
at Walmart, CVS,
Rite Aid and CONSUMER: Limit one coupon per purchase only on products indicated. Redeemable at participating retail stores. Any other use constitutes fraud. You must pay sales tax.
RETAILER: Moberg Pharma North America LLC will reimburse the face value of this coupon, plus 8, when submitted in accordance with our redemption policy, available
Walgreens stores. upon request. Mail coupon to: Moberg Pharma North America LLC, CMS Department # 57074, One Fawcett Drive, Del Rio, TX 78840. Void if altered, reproduced, transferred,
sold or where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Valid for purchases in the U.S.A. only. Cash value 1/100 of 1.
Any use of this coupon not specified herein constitutes fraud. (2014) Moberg Pharma North America LLC
BY G L EN N G L ASS E R
Mike Hopkins
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Braille and audio editions of Readers Digest are available from the American Printing House for
the Blind (aph.org/products/magsubsc.htm). A Readers Digest Large Print edition is available at
rd.com/save or by writing to: Readers Digest Large Print, PO Box 6097, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1597.
For information about our digital editions, go to rd.com/readers-digest-digital-editions.
Quotable Quotes
FAITH IS TAKING THE FIRST When someone
shows you who
STEP, EVEN WHEN YOU they are,
DONT SEE THE WHOLE believe them
the first time.
STAIRCASE. MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. M AYA A N G E LO U
Cynicism
masquerades as
THERE IS NO
wisdom, but it is TERROR IN THE
the farthest BANG, ONLY IN
thing from it. THE ANTICIPATION
S TE P H E N
CO LB E R T OF IT. A LF R E D H ITC H CO C K
Readers Digest (ISSN 0034-0375) (USPS 865-820), (CPM Agreement# 40031457), Vol. 184, No. 1103, September 2014. 2014. Published
monthly (subject to change without notice) by The Readers Digest Association, Inc., 44 South Broadway, White Plains, New York 10601.
Periodicals postage paid at White Plains, New York, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Readers Digest,
PO Box 6095, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1595. Send undeliverable Canadian addresses to [email protected]. All rights reserved. Unauthorized
reproduction, in any manner, is prohibited. Readers Digest, The Digest, and the Pegasus logo are registered trademarks of The Readers Digest
Association, Inc. Marca Registrada. Printed in U.S.A. You may cancel your subscription at any time and receive a refund for copies not previously
addressed. Your subscription will expire with the issue identified above your name on the address label. SUBSCRIBERS: If the Post Office alerts
us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. A special Readers
Digest Large Print with selected articles from Readers Digest is published by The Readers Digest Association, Inc. For details, go to rd.com/save
or write to: Readers Digest Large Print, PO Box 6097, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1597. CONSUMER INFORMATION: Readers Digest may share
information about you with reputable companies in order for them to offer you products and services of interest to you. If you would rather
we not share information, please write to Readers Digest Customer Care, PO Box 6095, Harlan, Iowa 51593-1595.