Author’s Note: This is the 7th in a series of 12 articles I’m writing on mistakes and learning in building our foundation since 1997.

Editor’s note: You’ll have to register on the McKinsey site to finish reading this but it’s free and well worth the read. Every single person I know faces information overload in one way or another. I hope you are working your way out of it, just as I have been. Getting out of the slow-down that multi-tasking can cause in your work is as difficult yet simple as meditation. That is, as the article states: “find time to focus, filter out the unimportant, forget about work every now and then. The holy grail, of course, is to retain the benefits of connectivity without letting it distract us too much.”

“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.” Charles Darwin

Editor's Note: A special highlight of "Encore" is the author's inclusion of stories of people who have chosen not to retire from working itself, but to change careers for work that is personally meaningful and self-satisfying. Certainly this has been my own experience and readers will find practical hints and tips for the transformation that millions of our baby boomers may want to make.

Author’s note: This is the sixth article in a series of 12 describing mistakes I’ve made in building a foundation.  My hope is that they are helpful to you in your own philanthropic efforts.

Editor’s Note:  In keeping with the Pinker research cited in this month's case study, I'd like to think that the spreading of the message of non-violence through the emergence of ubiquitous media has caused our world to become more peaceful.  This message was conveyed early in my life in this song by a band of rock pioneers who went onto commercial success in other bands.

Editor's Note:  There is an emerging argument for overcoming our ever-expanding polarization of wealth in the USA.  It goes well beyond pleas for compassion from "bleeding hearts" like mine.  That is, that income disparity is actually bad for our economy.  David J. Lynch captures this theory and its principal promoter succinctly for Bloomberg Business Week below.

Editor’s Note: This book serves as a great reminder that we all have something to give, from the smallest donation to starting a non-profit organization.  It is a comprehensive look into how to make giving really count, and will inspire and motivate you to think more carefully about all you are doing for others.  The book opens with a great quote that guides part of our foundation’s mission of encouraging others to try and make a difference:  “A philanthropist is anyone who gives anything – time, money, experience, skills, and networks – in any amount to create a better world.” 

“If your non-profit isn't acting with as much energy and guts as it takes to get funded in Silicon Valley or featured on Digg, then you're failing in your duty to make change.”