Editor's Note: Drawing on the entrepreneurial life-lessons he gained from his Uncle Cleve, Who Owns the Icehouse? chronicles Clifton Taulbert’s journey from life in the Mississippi Delta at the height of legal segregation to being recognized by Time Magazine as “one of our nations most outstanding emerging entrepreneurs.” While Taulbert describes the life-changing influence of his Uncle Cleve, Gary Schoeniger, founder of Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI), captures the entrepreneurial life-lessons and the unlimited opportunities they can provide.

Editor’s Note: Given the racial tensions building in our cities between imperfect police forces and imperfect legal systems, I noticed this, one of my favorite old blues songs on my iPhone the other day. This early 2000’s version of an old Ray Charles tune says it all.  

Editor’s note: Dr. Deaton, a social economist from Princeton who is widely respected uses this readable book to separate health and income’s effects on global life quality. He is brave enough to go way back and way forward in sharing his thought and all of his present and past observations are well researched and documented. Late in his thesis he says (my favorite seven words in the book) that we should worry about “equality of opportunity, not equality of outcomes.” His overall findings, if summarized from my reading would be that we’ve had huge progress in spreading (health and income) life quality over the last 150 years but that we may not do as well going forward. Essentially he is optimistic about the past and somewhat pessimistic about our future and while he cites good reasons to be skeptical, I’m hoping his warnings are observed and considered but not believed or accepted.  

Editor’s Note: This is the book I would be able to write if I had 10 times the experience I have at this time. Every interest I’ve had, it seems, is covered by this famous reporting couple. The thorough nature of their approach in fact makes it informative and helpful to a neophyte like me but also a bit weighty if you are more casual in your interest. Kristoff and WuDunn take account of an amazing number of vignettes of successful and unsuccessful efforts to stem poverty and its root causes here in America and throughout the world. In the same book, they also study the science of both giving and receiving. Finally, they cover measuring impact. For me it was well worth the slog and even if others are overwhelmed by it, the book adds fame and practical knowledge to this emerging social change society we are growing together.

Editor’s note: I’m not Coldplay’s biggest fan but I like the guy’s voice a ton and enjoy their creative orchestration, particularly their use of strings. While hearing this, one of their most popular tunes I was struck by the lyrics I’d never quite listened to before. The recurring point of course is the old “riding high in April, shot down in May” of Sinatra reminiscence. But the real striker was the one phrase chosen below as my favorite lyric.  

Editor’s note: Take your time getting into the Youtube video, Victor hits the song at about the middle of his bass solo in a Flecktones’ live concert. Wooten is known as Futurman and surely the most unique electic bass player I’ve ever seen. Hopefully, this makes you thirsty for more Bela Fleck, whose entire history and band is the soul of unique approaches to music and instruments.

Editor’s Note: The entire three page book can be read in this file as it is in the public domain. Seems maybe it always was since the author gave rights to railroad executives in many countries and this little book was shared 40 million times in its first few years out. That was over 100 years ago and the writing is (appropriate to 1899) a bit heavy handed. But the point of it is highlighted in my excerpt below in one short sentence and I love the idea that all employers are in an endless search for “Rowans” – someone who can be counted on to get a message to Garcia. Note: Dedicated to my newest grandson, Rowan Zigmunt McCarthy.

Editor's Note: I've always been captivated by David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash harmonies.  My favorite is the famous "Helplessly Hoping." Here's a far more obscure song, this one written by Crosby whose only big (songwriting) hit was "Wooden Ships." It's light on lyrics, very long on beautiful harmony and guitars and my favorite lyric resonated with me when I first heard this at age 24 as the band was winding down.

Editor's Note: If you've ever considered trying meditation, this is the book for you. My mindfulness practice began in the mid-1990s and has progressively changed how I look at life. Since I am anxious by nature my judging mind jumps from thought to thought, event to event, forward and back endlessly. Through meditation practice I am more able to find myself in the moment, rather than looking forward or back with desire or regret.

Editor’s Note: B.B. King died in May just short of his 90th birthday. I had the great pleasure of seeing him live when he was young, when I was a sophomore in college playing in Columbus. Since that night, I always felt a connection. The son of sharecroppers, Riley B. King grew up in the gospel choirs his grandmother attached him to. The pastor taught him his first three chords on a guitar his cousins bought him. He pioneered electric blues guitar playing with his unique sound and is recognized as one of the best ever. Rather than choosing his more famous “Thrill is Gone” or “Downhearted,” two songs I enjoy covering, I chose his tribute as “Everybody’s Had the Blues” because it’s so true and in this version he rocks out with another legendary electric blues guitarist, Joe Louis Walker (JLW).