http://www.thelavinagency.com/blog.html The lastest news from The Lavin Agency en-en http://www.thelavinagency.com/images/logo.jpg http://www.thelavinagency.com/blog.html
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Making-it-in-New-York-City-Then-and-Now-Patti-Smith.html ... 2012-05-16 14:54:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog- Jeff-Rubin-Talks-to-Michael-Hlinka-About-The-end-of-growth.html At a packed Toronto Reference Library event last night, CBC financial expert Michael Hlinka sat down to talk with economist and bestselling author Jeff Rubin about his new book, The End Of Growth. The two speakers shared a relaxed and animated rapport, even when discussing grave matters like bailouts and economic disruption. The End of Growth is an ominous title, but Rubin's projected view of the futureamp;mdash;a amp;ldquo;gearing down to a much slower rate of economic growthamp;rdquo;amp;mdash... 2012-05-15 15:16:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-investigative-journalism-triumph-diana-swain-awarded-hillman-prize.html Lavin speaker Diana Swain has been awarded a Canadian Hillman Prize for her work on amp;ldquo;Scout's Honour,amp;rdquo; a yearlong story for CBCamp;rsquo;s the fifth estate that was hailed as amp;ldquo;a triumph of investigative journalism.amp;rdquo; Alongside her colleaguesamp;mdash;and fellow prize winners Timothy Sawa and Angela Gilbertamp;mdash;Swain helped bring to public attention allegations of child abuse and efforts to cover it up at Scouts Canada.amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp;amp;nbsp; amp;nbsp;Th... 2012-05-14 14:01:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-how-wall-street-killed-financial-reform.html In a scorching Rolling Stone investigative report this week, Matt Taibbi writes about how Wall Street killed financial reform in Americaamp;mdash;specifically, the Dodd-Frank act, which President Obama said amp;ldquo;represent[s] the strongest consumer financial reform in history,amp;rdquo; but which Taibbi says amp;ldquo;is groaning on its deathbedamp;rdquo; just two years after its passage. amp;ldquo;That the banks have just about succeeded in strangling Dodd-Frank is probably not news to most... 2012-05-11 10:47:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Ta-Nehisi-Coates-Wins-Hillman-Prize-for-Opinion-and-Analysis-Journalism.html Lavin speaker Ta-Nehisi Coates, a senior editor at The Atlantic, has won the 2012 Hillman Prize for Opinion amp;amp; Analysis Journalism. amp;ldquo;Coates is one of the most elegant and sharp observers of race in America,amp;rdquo; said judge Hendrik Hertzberg of The New Yorker. amp;ldquo;He is an upholder of universal values, a brave and compassionate writer who challenges his readers to transcend narrow self-definitions and focus on shared humanity.amp;rdquo; Coates writes stories for The Atla... 2012-05-10 13:46:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-shooting-the-messenger-justin-fox-on-how-arguments-really-work.html The next time you have an argument that rubs you the wrong way, Justin Fox (The Myth of the Rational Market) wants you to think about this: amp;ldquo;Is it the argument that bothers you, or the group you think the arguer belongs to?amp;rdquo; In his latest Harvard Business Review article, Fox writes that if we don't like the messenger, we're likely to take it out on the message. And vice versa. If we like the individual or group that the content is coming from, we are more likely to agree. Nobel... 2012-05-09 10:56:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-herle-bensimon-consumerology-three-types-of-canadians.html Economic confidence hinges on one variable: housing. This is one of the many insights shared by speakers Jack Bensimon and David Herleamp;mdash;the duo behind Consumerology, a leading consumer research firmamp;mdash;in their visit to Lavinamp;rsquo;s Toronto offices this month. Most interesting was their discussion of how extensive research led them to classify the Canadian population into three demographic groups: Runners, Walkers, and Spectators.Runners, the Consumerology guys tell us, are the... 2012-05-08 10:58:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-personal-branding-online.html What does personal online branding mean? And why, suddenly, has it become so popular and important to companies, to their employees, and to individuals trying to make a mark in an increasingly crowded marketplace? In a new talk, Amber Macamp;mdash;a renowned digital innovation speaker with a massive social media followingamp;mdash;offers a master course in amp;ldquo;The Art of Personal Branding.amp;rdquo; Itamp;rsquo;s a topic sheamp;rsquo;s written about often. (Check out her Fast Company piece... 2012-05-07 11:29:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-an-explosive-moment-in-us-history-jeff-chang-on-the-LA-riots.html Twenty years ago, a nation watched as Los Angeles burned. In a new essay, social historian Jeff Changamp;mdash;the author of Canamp;rsquo;t Stop Wonamp;rsquo;t Stopamp;mdash;examines the L.A. riots in parallel with the political and cultural evolution of rap music into the early amp;lsquo;90s. Each seemed to mirror the other, he concludes. As Chang notes: amp;ldquo;By 1991, L.A. rap was all tension and little release.amp;rdquo; Changamp;rsquo;s essay, amp;ldquo;I Gotta Be Able to Counterattack,a... 2012-05-04 12:36:58
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Dr-Sanjay-Gupta-Receives-Award-for-Impact-on-Public-Opinion.html Dr. Sanjay Guptaamp;mdash; CNNamp;rsquo;s chief medical correspondent and author of the new novel Monday Morningsamp;mdash;has received the Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion for 2012. In his charming acceptance speech, Dr. Gupta said that medical reporting is amp;ldquo;some of the most gratifying work that I've ever been able to do.amp;rdquo;amp;ldquo;Our greatest triumph as medical reporters comes when we feel that there has been some sort of impact,amp;rdquo; said Dr. Sanjay... 2012-05-03 13:52:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-justin-fox-innovation-myth-wired.html In a recent Wired article, Justin Fox asks whether the prevailing notion that we are in quot;an age of unprecedented, staggering technological changequot; is actually trueamp;mdash;or whether it is a myth perpetuated by journalists covering business and technology. While Fox does admits that this argument is blatantly contrarian and purposefully provocative, he does see some truth behind it.Here's Fox: quot;Compared with the staggering changes in everyday life in the first half of the 20th cent... 2012-05-02 13:22:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-guardian-article-observer.html In a recent article in The Guardian, Lavin speaker David Eagleman debated Raymond Tallis on the age-old question of whether our personalities, desires, and actions are governed by our unconscious mind, or whether the human condition is much more complicated. Eagleman's New York Times bestseller Incognito explores this question in accessible detail, pointing out that our behaviors, thoughts, and experiences are inseparably linked to the vast, wet, chemical-electrical networks of the brain. While ... 2012-05-01 13:18:05
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-cbc-insider-panel-live-political-insight-and-self-deprecating-humour.html Today, members of CBC's popular Insiders panelamp;mdash;David Herle, Kathleen Monk, and Jaime Wattamp;mdash;held their first-ever live event for a crowd of politicos, fans, and media. Billed as amp;ldquo;a masterclass in Canadian politics,amp;rdquo; the event featured an astonishing depth of political insight, undercut by a self-deprecating sense of humor that kept things buoyant.The Insidersamp;mdash;who have each worked behind the scenes at the upper echelons of Canadian politicsamp;mdash;used... 2012-04-30 16:13:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-how-introvert-susan-cain-got-a-standing-ovation-at-ted.html Lavin speaker Susan Cain has been an introvert all her life. But when it came time to deliver her 2012 TED talkamp;mdash;amp;ldquo;a critique of our overly loquacious cultureamp;rdquo;amp;mdash;the bestselling author of Quiet had to get a little loud. In a recent New York Times essay , Cain recounts the journey she took to prepare for her record-breaking TED Talk. Addressing an audience of 1,500 people, Cain spoke with wit, grace, and easeamp;mdash;and received a standing ovation. amp;ldquo;I ta... 2012-04-30 10:12:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bruce-philp-authors-at-google.html At his recent Authors@Google talk, Consumer Republic author Bruce Philp spoke about why brands make corporations more accountable, how they empower consumers, and why they can ultimately save capitalism. Big claims, but Philp backed them up persuasively. His talk drew on sociology, consumer history, and his years in the advertising industry, helping make the world's leading brands more accountable. Philp argued that the soul of consumerism is political in natureamp;mdash;that corporations, throu... 2012-04-27 10:08:20
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reviewing-the-righteous-mind-jonathan-haidt-book-is-a-revelation.html Jonathan Haidtamp;rsquo;s much-buzzed about new book, The Righteous Mindamp;mdash;which uses moral psychology to examine why liberals and conservatives have such a hard time seeing eye-to-eyeamp;mdash;debuted at #6 on the New York Times bestseller list a few weeks back. Haidtamp;rsquo;s book is perfectly timed for this yearamp;rsquo;s US election, which may be the nastiest and most partisan in recent memory, but itamp;rsquo;s also making waves internationally. Two recent reviews of the UK editio... 2012-04-25 12:07:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-science-writer-carol-yoon-indadvertently-discovered-rare-species.html Science writer Carol Yoon has traveled far and wide to research rare and exotic species. But for her latest adventure, the award-winning author of Naming Nature only had to walk about twenty feet. In the small town of Bellingham, Washington, Yoon was standing by her living room window when she spied an exceptionally rare mothamp;mdash;the one that would get her published in a scientific journal for the first time. Her location was perhaps more surprising than the find: amp;ldquo;Out of that wind... 2012-04-24 09:57:38
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-dave-hemstad-a-stand-up-who-does-corporate-comedy-righ.html Do you need to book a truly great corporate comedian this year? As opposed to one who's just punching the clock? Then check out Dave Hemstad. This Debaters regular is one of the countryamp;rsquo;s hottest comediansamp;mdash;and, incidentally, the only stand-up Lavin has chosen to exclusively represent. This year, heamp;rsquo;ll appear numerous times at the Ha!ifax Comedy Festival, one of the leading showcases of comedic talent in North America. (Previously, another leading comedic showcase, Just... 2012-04-24 08:59:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Guggenheim-Fellow-Janna-Levin-Listens-To-The-Sounds-Of-The-Universe.html This month, Janna Levinamp;mdash;the theoretical cosmologist who spoke at TED about the sounds of the universeamp;mdash;was named a 2012 Guggenheim Fellow. Levin teaches physics and astronomy at Barnard College, and is a Lavin Agency exclusive speaker. She recently talked to us about her research, her thoughts on innovation, and why itamp;rsquo;s amp;ldquo;incredibly exciting to hear black holes clanging a billion light years away.amp;rdquo; Here are three highlights from our interview: 1) T... 2012-04-23 12:26:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-wall-street-organized-crime.html Rolling Stoneamp;rsquo;s Matt Taibbi recently appeared on the Max Keiser Report to talk about why he considers his workamp;mdash;covering Wall Streetamp;mdash;to be akin to writing amp;ldquo;an organized crime story.amp;rdquo; Since 2008, Taibbi has covered the big banks and their role in our troubled economic times, publishing influential pieces on the Bank of America, and, perhaps most famously, Goldman Sachs. Taibbi is currently working on his second book, a follow-up to the bestselling, Grif... 2012-04-20 11:40:14
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-End-Of-An-Awesome-Era-Neil-Pasricha-Reveals-His-Number-One-Awesome-Thing.html Last night, at a bookstore in Toronto, Neil Pasricha revealed his #1 Awesome thingamp;mdash;the final entry in a list of 1,000 awesome things he's been counting down for the past four years. amp;ldquo;How are you?amp;rdquo; a young fan asked, as he took the stage. amp;ldquo;I'm awesome,amp;rdquo; he said, smiling. Pasrichaamp;rsquo;s 1000 Awesome Things blog, which began as a personal project, has garnered 45 million hits and spun off into three #1 bestselling books; it came to a happy end i... 2012-04-20 10:28:05
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Creativity-Meets-Truthiness-Jonah-Lehrer-On-The-Colbert-Report.html amp;ldquo;My guest, Jonah Lehrer, says most new ideas are actually old. Well that's original,amp;rdquo; Stephen Colbert quipped on his show last night. The two sat down to talk about Lehrer's new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list earlier this month. Lehrer, a popular neuroscience speaker, says he wrote the book to debunk the myth that art is invented quot;out of thin air.quot; He wanted to explain that most creativity comes from findin... 2012-04-18 15:22:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-vijay-vaitheeswaran-need-speed-greed.html Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran is one of the world's foremost voices on business innovation. His latest book, Need, Speed, and Greed, is the essential insider's guide to the new world of enterprise trailblazing and asks: Can the benefits of the global innovation revolution be shared more equitably amongst all of society? Vaitheeswaran believes that the 'wicked global problems' we faceamp;mdash;a booming global population, the rapid urbanization of our species, climate change, and the risk of global pand... 2012-04-18 15:21:46
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Medical-Mistakes-And-Monday-Mornings-Dr.-Sanjay-Gupta-New-Novel.html April has been all about Monday Mornings for Dr. Sanjay Gupta. This month, the chief medical correspondent for CNN stopped in at Indigo bookstore, as part of his book tour, to discuss his new novel with CEO Heather Reisman. Monday Mornings, which follows five surgeons from the fictional Chelsea General, is Guptaamp;rsquo;s third book, and his first novel. The title alludes to the highly secretive Morbidity and Mortality (Mamp;amp;M) meetings (which are in fact, real) that the doctors hold weekly... 2012-04-18 13:16:35
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-China-Faces-Even-More-Challenges-Than-America-James-Fallows.html James Fallows wants you to know three things about China: it has more problems than America; a fear of the country prevents people from taking it seriously; and its future is something absolutely no one can predict: quot;If anyone knows what's going to happen, you should stop listening to them,quot; he said at a recent talk on China in North Carolina. A longtime national correspondent for The Atlantic (his most recent cover story was this one on Obama), Fallows spent several years living in Chin... 2012-04-17 14:40:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jaime-watt-david-herle-cbc-the-national-the-insiders.html UPDATE: Tickets are still available for the Insiders live event in Toronto. Click the link below for more detailsThe Insiders Panel, on CBC, may be the smartest, most entertaining ten minutes on television news every week. Airing as part of The National, the amp;ldquo;Insidersamp;rdquo;amp;mdash; Lavin speakers David Herle and Jaime Watt, as well as Kathleen Monkamp;mdash;rip back the veil from the crowding political newscycle to make sense of the events that matter to this countryamp;rsquo;s in... 2012-04-16 10:53:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-TEDx-Occupy-Wall-Street-Rahaf-Harfoush-Protest-Fuels-Innovation.html amp;ldquo;I believe that in every protest there is an economic opportunity,amp;rdquo; Rahaf Harfoush said during her recent TEDxWallStreet talk. Speaking at the New York Stock Exchange, just blocks from where the Occupy movement set up camp at Zuccotti Park, the digital strategist told the audience that amp;ldquo;the future of protest is: creating new ideas.amp;rdquo; She explained why the old equation for peaceful protestsamp;mdash;a critical mass plus a boycott or strikeamp;mdash;no longer wor... 2012-04-16 10:48:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Dragons-Den-CBC-David-Chilton-New-Judge.html The CBC can't get enough of David Chilton. The bestselling quot;Wealthy Barberquot; is practically a regular on The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos, and fills in for Kevin O'Leary on The Lang amp;amp; O'Leary Exchange. So when the time came to find a new judge for their hit reality show Dragons' Den, choosing Chilton was a natural choice.But Chilton tells the CBC Live that he was apprehensive at first. amp;ldquo;I was quite interested right away but I felt mixed emotions. I'm a very low key g... 2012-04-13 11:56:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-ends-1000awesomethings-blog.html In a recent front page story, The Toronto Star called Neil Pasricha amp;ldquo;the preacher of the positiveamp;rdquo; with his amp;ldquo;make-you-smile messagesamp;mdash;think Jerry Seinfeld without the cynicism.amp;rdquo; After four years of blogging about awesome things (popping bubble wrap, the cool side of the pillow), Pasricha is posting his final awesome thingamp;mdash;the #1 awesome thingamp;mdash;on April 19. It will round out his list, which started at #1000, in June 2008. Pasricha start... 2012-04-12 09:20:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Eric-Klinenberg-The-New-Yorker-Living-Alone.html The #1 most popular article at The New Yorker this week is quot;Why Are So Many Americans Single?quot;amp;mdash;a review of Eric Klinenberg's new book, Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone. The magazine writes that despite society's stereotypical image of loners (with their amp;ldquo;taint of loserdomamp;rdquo;), amp;ldquo;Klinenbergamp;rsquo;s research suggests that our usual perceptions about life alone get things backward. Far from being a mark of social ab... 2012-04-11 15:49:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-mercer-best-high-school.html Rick Mercer recently took to The Rick Mercer Report to talk about amp;ldquo;the best high school in Canada,amp;rdquo; which, in an ironic twist of fate, is being shut down. Despite being told their school would close, the students at Peterborough Collegiate and Vocational School raised the most money for Mercer's famous Spread the Net campaign. amp;ldquo;The president of the student council at PCVS has said they're gonna keep fighting,amp;rdquo; Mercer says. amp;ldquo;Because Canada needs more ... 2012-04-11 10:50:33
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-arianna-huffington.html Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington recently interviewed Susan Cain about the impact of her bestselling book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts. Huffington explains that Cainamp;rsquo;s impassioned manifesto quot;taps into our growing need for unplugging and recharging,amp;rdquo; a topic that Huffington herself has been exploring in her siteamp;rsquo;s Healthy Living Section. From their conversation: Arianna Huffington: It's really great to have Susan Cain with us. I loved her TED talk, whi... 2012-04-10 15:26:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-eric-berlow-simplicity-complex.html Eric Berlow is an ecologist and complexity scientist whose work has drawn major interest from corporations and government agenciesamp;mdash;basically, any group looking to solve seemingly enormous problems. This Senior TED Fellow draws on the methodology of ecologistsamp;mdash;analyzing the moving parts of an ecosystem to see how they interact with each otheramp;mdash;and applies it to large-scale societal problems, such as sustainable energy, food, and water security. At his company, TruNorth L... 2012-04-09 09:59:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jared-diamond-languages-internet-extinction.html At a recent keynote, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond warned that 6,800 of the worldamp;rsquo;s 7,000 languages are expected to go extinct in under 100 yearsamp;mdash;and technology is playing a big role in both their extinction and preservation. MediaBistro posted a short piece on the talk, highlighting choice insights from amp;ldquo;L.A's favorite geography and philosophy professor with a wicked Boston accent.amp;rdquo; Here's Diamond: The language of the Internet is English. And t... 2012-04-05 13:17:19
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-thomas-friedman-why-nations-fail-fascinating.html Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson's sweeping new book, Why Nations Fail, has a fan in Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. In a recent op-ed, Friedman says of the amp;ldquo;fascinatingamp;rdquo; new book: amp;ldquo;The more you read it, the more you appreciate what a foolamp;rsquo;s errand weamp;rsquo;re on in Afghanistan and how much we need to totally revamp our whole foreign aid strategy. But most intriguing are the warning flares the authors put up about both Amer... 2012-04-04 14:38:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-patti-smith-cbs-sunday-morning.html On CBS Sunday Morning this week, Patti Smith, the legendary songwriter, author, poet, and photographer, discussed her career in an intimate hour-long interview. Smith performed two songs from her new album, Banga, and talked about her 2010 memoir, Just Kids. A bestseller and winner of the National Book Award, Kids is about her formative years in 1970's New York and her friendship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. When asked about Mapplethorpe's impact on her life, Smith said: I had a sense... 2012-04-03 13:39:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-eric-klinenberg-pbs-going-solo.html Eric Klinenberg's new book, Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, uncovers the biggest societal shift that no one is talking aboutamp;mdash;the dominance of single person living. In Time's 2012 Ideas That Are Changing Your Life Issue,amp;nbsp; Klinenberg's research was listed first. In an interview with PBS, Klinenberg outlines just how important this change is. In 1950, 22% of American adults were single as opposed to 50% today, four million Americans lived a... 2012-04-02 10:17:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-imagine-debut-new-york-times-bestseller.html We are very proud to announce that Jonah Lehreramp;rsquo;s third book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, debuted as the #1 New York Times bestseller (non-fiction) on the most recently published list (April 8, 2012). A Lavin exclusive speaker, Lehrer is widely hailed as amp;ldquo;the most talented explainer of science that weamp;rsquo;ve gotamp;rdquo; (Joshua Foer) and a catalyst for the mass appeal of neuroscience books. In Imagine, he tackles amp;ldquo;our most important mental talent: the ability... 2012-03-29 10:23:05
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeff-rubin-new-book-the-end-of-growth.html Renowned economist Jeff Rubinamp;mdash;a trusted voice on the future of oil and energy and how they relate to the economic outlookamp;mdash;has just penned the eagerly awaited follow-up to his last bestseller, Why Your World is About To Get a Whole Lot Smaller. In The End of Growth (out May 8th) Rubin continues to explain how resource competition and the rising cost of oil will reshape the way we live.From the publisher: Economist and resource analyst Jeff Rubin is certain that the world's gove... 2012-03-29 09:36:09
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-david-eaves-online-privacy-hiring.html The job market just got a lot tougher, for employers, employees, and human resource departments alike. A new trend finds some companies going so far as to ask potential hires for access to their social media accountsamp;mdash;leading to bigger questions about online rights and privacy. A recent Toronto Star article tackled this topic, turning to acclaimed digital strategist Amber Mac for her thoughts. Mac, who charts the collision of the workplace and Internet usage for Fast Company, among other... 2012-03-28 10:37:33
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-haidt-righteous-mind-nyt-review.html This weekend, Jonathan Haidt's The Righteous Mind debuted at number six on The New York Times bestseller list, and was the subject of a two-page review in the paper, which called it quot;well worth reading.quot; The Righteous Mind revolves around morality's role in politics and religionamp;mdash;eschewing partisan rhetoric to drill down to the real motivations behind people's political and religious views. The Times writes that quot;Haidt seeks to enrich liberalism, and political discourse gener... 2012-03-27 11:48:27
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-khan-journey-to-save-education.html This month, 60 Minutes ran an inspiring feature on why Salman Khanamp;mdash;founder of Khan Academyamp;mdash;decided to quit his job as a hedge fund analyst and devote all his efforts to revamping education, one online video at a time. The segment explains that Khanamp;rsquo;s famous archive of thousands of comprehensible web lessons, which are changing the nature of tech-enabled classrooms, began as a simple one-on-one tutoring project.With three science degrees from MIT and an MBA from Harvard... 2012-03-26 10:51:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chilton-cbc-dragons-den.html David Chilton is the author of Canada's all-time best-selling book, The Wealthy Barber, and he's about to become a co-star on Dragons' Den, one of the countryamp;rsquo;s most successful television shows. CBC has announced that Chilton will join fellow Lavin speakers Kevin Oamp;rsquo;Leary and Arlene Dickinson as a judge, starring in the hit showamp;rsquo;s seventh season. quot;David Chilton embodies Canadian entrepreneurial success,amp;rdquo; the CBC said, amp;ldquo;and through his terrific book... 2012-03-23 08:42:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-imagine-npr.html On tour to promote his critically-hailed new book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, Jonah Lehrer stopped by NPR to talk about how each of us can become more creative. In Imagine, Lehrer views creativity through a wide lensamp;mdash;quot;considering everything from the invention of masking tape to breakthroughs in mathematics; from memorable ad campaigns to Shakespearean tragedies.quot; As he explains, there are many ways to spark creativity and create those 'a-ha!' moments that result in original ... 2012-03-22 16:01:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-new-york-times-mag.html Daron Acemoglu is amp;ldquo;about as hot as economists get,amp;rdquo; writes The New York Times Magazine in a recent feature on the Why Nations Fail co-author. In the book, Acemoglu addresses the big question that has perplexed economists for ages: why are some countries rich while others are poor? He tells the Times Magazine that poverty stems not just from a lack of market freedom, or overpopulation, or a lack of centralized government. For Acemoglu, poor countries are ones where the average c... 2012-03-21 13:02:06
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-doug-stephens-future-big-box-retail.html In Advertising Age this month, Retail Prophet founder Doug Stephens offers insights on how the Big Box model, which has dominated retail since roughly the 1960s, will undergo drastic changes in the near futureamp;mdash;and what it will mean for all of us, retailers, suppliers, and consumers alike. Stephens points to several major shifts we're already seeing or which we will see in short order as retailers like Walmart, K-Mart,Target, and others adjust to unprecedented changes in consumer behavio... 2012-03-20 10:32:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-margaret-atwood-payback-trailer.html Margaret Atwood's Massey Lecture-turned-bestselling book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, is a fascinating look at the role of quot;debtquot; throughout human history. Now, filmmaker Jennifer Baichwal has adapted Payback into a documentary, continuing Atwood's quot;line of high-minded questioningquot; into the multiple meanings of this complex subject. Atwood and Baichwal eschew the more common financial incarnation of the term, and instead look at quot;everything from an Albanian b... 2012-03-19 12:50:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-google-debates.html This week, neuroscientist David Eagleman spoke at a Google 'Debates' series addressing the war on drugs. Other luminaries on the bill included Vincente Fox, Julian Assange, Eliot Spitzer, Richard Branson, and Russell Brand. quot;The reason why we're losing the war on drugs,quot; Eagleman said, quot;is because we're attacking supply, and that's like a water balloon: if you press it down in one place, it comes up somewhere else.quot; What Eagleman and his colleagues are attempting to do, inst... 2012-03-16 09:58:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lev-grossman-raymond-kurzweil-sxsw.html Lev Grossman's 2011 TIME cover story on Raymond Kurzweil's quot;singularityquot; theory was one of the most talked about articles of the year. At this year's South By Southwest Interactive (SXSWi), TIME's lead tech writer sat down with Kurzweil to explore the divisive scientist's vision of the future once again. Kurzweil's claim-to-fame is the amp;ldquo;singularityamp;rdquo;amp;mdash;his belief in exponential growth that will move technological expansion at an incredibly rapid, yet utterly predi... 2012-03-14 11:53:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lisa-shannon-beyond-kony-2012-hype.html Few people in the world know more about Africa's struggles than Lisa Shannon. The author of A Thousand Sisters and founder of Run for Congo Women, Shannon gave up her business and fiancamp;eacute; to dedicate her life to helping women in the Congo. While Invisible Children's Kony 2012 video (and its subsequent rounds of backlash) has dominated the headlines recently, Shannon's article in Nicholas Kristof's 'On the Ground' blog in The New York Times speaks out on the real issue at handamp;mdash;t... 2012-03-13 14:17:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-ron-paul-internet-president.html In a recent article for Yahoo! News, Virginia Heffernan profiled Ron Paul's unlikely online presence, and asked whether online support translates into real votes. Heffernan cites a study that found that during 2008's Super Tuesday week, the most popular online candidate wasn't Obama, Clinton, McCain, or Romney, but Ron Paul. Four years later, and Paul still seems to hold a cultural relevance that far outweighs his performance at the polls. He has over 900,000 Facebook fans, which Heffernan point... 2012-03-09 14:07:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-lose-twitter-friends.html Amber Mac didnamp;rsquo;t get to over 66,000 Twitter followers by stumbling through social media. Noamp;mdash;the consultant, TV host, and web-culture expert has often trailblazed the way for the rest of us when it comes to navigating a new, exciting, and powerful webisphere. In a new Fast Company blog post she continues to guide us away from social media pitfalls with a list of five key things you need to know to prevent widescale unfollows.Amber Macamp;rsquo;s five point as they appear in Fast... 2012-03-08 12:58:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alexandra-samuel-preserving-online-memories.html If most of our memories involve physical locations and activities (such as walking through a city), then how will we remember the online experiences that increasingly occupy most of our time? This is the question Alexandra Samuel asks in a new blog post, amp;ldquo;Towards a Geography of Digital Memory.amp;rdquo; Spurred by a visit to her own hometown, Toronto, the Social Signal co-founder notes that quot;as our world and culture move online, it will be the digital experiences that take the foreg... 2012-03-07 13:13:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-khan-keynote-lavin-speaker.html Lavinamp;rsquo;s newest speaker is Salman Khanamp;mdash;a man Fast Company says is quot;on a path to become a central figure in national education-policy debates.amp;rdquo; Khan is the founder of the Khan Academy, a non-profit that provides free, high-quality education to quot;anyone, anywherequot; in the world through its library of over 3,000 online videos. The videos are used by over four million students a month. In new keynotes, Salman Khan explains how learning through video (coupled with... 2012-03-06 15:54:58
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rafe-esquith-ted-2012-students-do-the-talking.html At TED 2012 last week, celebrated grade school teacher Rafe Esquith took the stageamp;mdash;but he didnamp;rsquo;t deliver a typical keynote. Instead, his students did most of the talking: they performed a scene from Hamlet, lectured on Shakespeare, and performed music. quot;Itamp;rsquo;s an extraordinary experience,amp;rdquo; wrote TEDamp;rsquo;s official blogger, amp;ldquo;seeing spectacular talent in these young kids.quot;Esquith's famous class at Hobart Elementary sits in a Los Angeles neigh... 2012-03-05 16:32:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-rebecca-newberger-goldstein-TED.html This week, David Lavin is in Long Beach, at the annual TED conference, where he gave a special workshop for TED Fellows. We'll also be highlighting the Lavin speakers who are presenting at TED 2012.Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker made his 4th appearance at TED this year, engaging in a Socratic dialogue with the novelist and philosopher Rebecca Newberger Goldstein. Pinker and Newberger Goldstein, who are married, discussed reason, human nature, and empathyamp;mdash;pitting science against phi... 2012-03-03 09:41:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-ted-introvert-manifesto.html This week, David Lavin is in Long Beach, at the annual TED conference, where he gave a special workshop for TED Fellows. We'll also be highlighting the Lavin speakers who are presenting at TED 2012.Susan Cain grabbed the mediaamp;rsquo;s attention last month when her first book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts In a World That Can't Stop Talking, debuted at #4 on The New York Times bestseller list. Now, Cain has made her mark at the worldamp;rsquo;s foremost speaking event, TED. The self-confe... 2012-03-02 09:40:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-haidt-ted-2012.html This week, David Lavin is in Long Beach, at the annual TED conference, where he gave a special workshop for TED Fellows. We'll also be highlighting the Lavin speakers who are presenting at TED 2012.Moral psychology speaker Jonathan Haidt returned to TED this week, and asked the audience, amp;ldquo;How many of you think of yourselves as religious?amp;rdquo; This echoed his first TED talk, from 2008, in which he polled audience members on whether they considered themselves liberal. Between his t... 2012-03-01 14:01:17
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-dan-lyons-social-mobile-revolution.html Dan Lyons, the Newsweek Technology Editor whose keynotes are part tech coverage, part business primer, and part stand-up comedy, has a new speech on the social-mobile revolution. Perhaps best known for the Apple-centric blog that he wrote for many years, Lyons is equally adept at charting the way new technologies are intersecting withamp;mdash;and radically changingamp;mdash;our world on every imaginable level, and in real-time. Hereamp;rsquo;s his new talk:The Social-Mobile Revolution: The New ... 2012-02-28 11:38:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-botted-water-bad-banning-worse.html Charles Fishman is now blogging about water for National Geographic--a move that makes perfect sense, given that his book The Big Thirst, just out in paperback, is the bestselling American book on water in the last twenty-five years. One of Fishmanamp;rsquo;s first blog posts exposes the hypocrisy behind banning bottled water on college campuses. While bottled water is environmentally ruinous, banning it, while doing nothing about other packaged products such as cookies and juice, doesn't make m... 2012-02-24 10:24:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-mercer-rant-online-privacy.html amp;ldquo;The state has no business in the hard drives of the nation,amp;rdquo; Rick Mercer said on his top-rated Rick Mercer Report this week. The Gemini-winning satirist was amp;ldquo;rantingamp;rdquo; about the controversy surrounding Vic Toews, the Minister of Public Safety, whose proposed Bill C-30 would allow the government, in Merceramp;rsquo;s words, to amp;ldquo;peek into your hard driveamp;rdquo; and gain access to all your online traffic, how much money you make, where you get you... 2012-02-23 10:29:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-short-history-lavin-ted-2012.html At the sold-out TED 2012 conference, Lavin Agency president David Lavin will host a special session for TED Fellows and interested TED speakers on how the speaking industry worksamp;mdash;drawn from his 25 years of experience. amp;ldquo;Iamp;rsquo;ve prepared a few stories,amp;rdquo; says Lavin, a bracingly honest and quotable speaker in his own right. amp;ldquo;But mostly, Iamp;rsquo;ll be there to answer all questions. There are always a lot of questions.amp;rdquo; Elsewhere at TED 2012, four ... 2012-02-22 14:16:04
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-cain-lehrer-groupthink-articles-introversion-brainstorming.html The concept of Groupthinkamp;mdash;sometimes called brainstormingamp;mdash;is under serious scrutiny these days. Recently, Lavin speakers Susan Cain and Jonah Lehrer each published critiques of this popular default approach to idea-creation that, for the past half century at least, has held the corporate world in its grip. Cain, writing in The New York Times, argues that it is solitude, and not forced collaboration (the foundation of brainstorming), that is better for creativity. Cain writes: O... 2012-02-21 12:18:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alexandra-samuel-unplug-the-atlantic.html In a recent Atlantic online article, Alexandra Samuel argues that the quot;Unplugquot; movementamp;mdash;the call to disconnect ourselves from social networks and give up the internetamp;mdash;is an unrealistic fix to the stresses of our online lives. The real solution, Samuel says, is to spend more attention to our online lives, and to quot;approach our time online with the same kind of intention and integrity we bring to our best offline interactions.quot; quot;Unpluggingquot; is not realistic... 2012-02-20 10:02:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reggie-love-irreplaceable-barack-obama-nymag.html Three months ago, Lavin speaker Reggie Loveamp;mdash;the long-time personal aide to President Barack Obamaamp;mdash;left the White House to pursue an MBA at Wharton. This week, New Yorkamp;rsquo;s Daily Intel went in search of Obamaamp;rsquo;s new personal aide, or amp;ldquo;body man,amp;rdquo; only to discover that amp;ldquo;there IS no New Reggie.amp;rdquo; Former West Wing staff members tell the magazine that Reggieamp;rsquo;s previous duties will instead be filled by up to three staff member... 2012-02-17 10:34:49
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-laurence-smith-world-2050-new-speaker.html amp;ldquo;Everyone wants to predict the future, but Laurence Smith actually does.amp;rdquo; -Los Angeles TimesUCLA geoscientist Laurence C. Smith talks about why, in the next forty years, the north will become increasingly vital to global survival and economic prosperity. The Guggenheim Fellow's critically lauded book, The World in 2050, provides a bracing analysis of four major forcesamp;mdash;demography, natural resources, globalization, and climate changeamp;mdash;that will dictate what kind ... 2012-02-16 11:17:00
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-haidt-difference-between-liberals-and-conservatives.html A new Chronicle of Higher Education article profiles Jonathan Haidt, and explores, in depth, his influential work on moral psychology and its impact on politics. For years, Haidt was a partisan liberal. But, frustrated by John Kerry's lackluster 2004 Presidential bid, he began researching the role of moral psychology in determining peopleamp;rsquo;s political affiliations. What he found changed his political views: he quot;emerged a centrist who believes that 'conservatives have a more accurate ... 2012-02-15 13:23:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-awesome-realistic-optimism.html With his TED Talk inching toward one million views, Neil Pasrichaamp;mdash;the #1 international bestselling author of The Book of Awesome seriesamp;mdash;continues to travel North America and speak to audiences about seeing the awesome in the everyday. Hereamp;rsquo;s Pasricha, talking about overcoming one's darkest moments at a recent university keynote: I donamp;rsquo;t think itamp;rsquo;s about forcing yourself out of dark spots, that isnamp;rsquo;t realistic, it isnamp;rsquo;t possible and ... 2012-02-14 15:24:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kwame-anthony-appiah-national-medal-humanities.html Kwame Anthony Appiah is one of today's most nimble philosophical minds, and The White House has decided to honor him with one of the country's great accoladesamp;mdash;the National Humanities Medal. According to the official website, the award is given to those quot;whose work has deepened the nationamp;rsquo;s understanding of the humanities, broadened citizensamp;rsquo; engagement with the humanities, or helped preserve and expand Americans' access to important resources in the humanities.quot... 2012-02-13 09:50:32
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-water-crisis-video-shalini-kantayya.html Filmmaker, educator, and eco-activist Shalini Kantayya uses film as a tool to educate, inspire, and empower audiences. In the above clip, she talks about amp;ldquo;a crisis of epic proportions,amp;rdquo; and why so few people her age are taking action. amp;ldquo;Two thirds of the worldamp;rsquo;s citizensamp;mdash;four billion peopleamp;mdash;will not have adequate access to water by the year 2027,amp;rdquo; she says. Water scarcity is not just a problem in sub-Saharan Africa. Itamp;rsquo;s happ... 2012-02-10 12:50:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-pedro-noguera-bronx-school-education-video.html In this new video, Pedro Noguera, a leading voice on education reform, talks about a school in the South Bronx where the amp;ldquo;culture of the school was more powerful than the culture of the streets.amp;rdquo; Designed to serve young men who might succumb to gang violence, the school is an example of an educational model that can work. amp;ldquo;You can take young peopleamp;mdash;young menamp;mdash;who have been turned off to school, and create a school setting that is so compelling that you... 2012-02-09 14:56:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-roger-martin-saving-capitalism-from-itself.html For its cover story this month, Toronto Life profiles Roger Martinamp;mdash;Dean of the Rotman Business Schoolamp;mdash;who explains why our economic system and corporate culture need a serious tune-up. amp;ldquo;Just as Michael Pollan articulated how our food system is broken and Bill McKibben became the go-to guy on the dangers of climate change,amp;rdquo; the magazine writes, amp;ldquo;Martin is now the economy's village explainer.quot; Though the head of a prestigious MBA program seems an un... 2012-02-08 09:32:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-candy-chang-transforms-public-spaces.html The Lavin Agency would like to welcome TED Senior Fellow Candy Chang as our newest speaker. A former New York Times art director, Chang is an artist who uses bright graphics in public spaces to help us rethink the contemporary city. Her work, profiled worldwide, aims to reanimate the physical surroundings of dilapidated neighborhoods while simultaneously generating a sense of community among residents. For her latest project, amp;rdquo;Before I Dieamp;hellip;,amp;rdquo; Chang turned a decaying h... 2012-02-07 15:32:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-jessica-jackley-community-social-change-social-media.html Lavin speakers Reza Aslan and Jessica Jackley recently delivered a joint keynote at Georgia Southern University on the social web's remarkable ability to build communities and incite social change. Jackley is the co-founder of KIVA, the worldamp;rsquo;s largest microlending website. Aslan is the founder of Aslan Media, which is altering perceptions of the Arab world through traditional and online entertainment. Aslan has traced the impact of social media in the Middle East, from the 2009 Iran up... 2012-02-06 15:48:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lucy-p-marcus-yahoo-rim-boardroom-leadership.html Lucy P. Marcus was just named to the Reuters amp;amp; Klout 50 list of amp;ldquo;Most Influential Execs on the Web,amp;rdquo; and for good reason. With few peers, Marcus has started and sustained a vibrant conversation about boardroom leadership at a crucial point in our economic recovery.amp;nbsp; In a recent Reuters piece, Marcus outlines why, during periods of management turnover in major companies, many corporate leaders make the mistake of quot;'managing from the grave,' being more concerne... 2012-02-03 11:27:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-quiet-bestseller.html Susan Cain's new book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, has the country buzzing about the many strengths of the quieter third of the population. In its first week, it is already #5 on Amazon. In Quiet, Cain argues that by forcing introverts to compete in a culture biased toward the amp;ldquo;extrovert ideal,amp;rdquo; we risk losing some of our best thinkers, leaders and workers. Cain will speak at TED 2012 in February. Until then, she is on an extensive media t... 2012-02-01 15:00:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reggie-love-obama-former-body-man-leadership-politics.html The Lavin Agency is pleased to announce as our newest speaker Reggie Loveamp;mdash;a young man who, over the past four years, has arguably spent more time with President Barack Obama than anyone else on earth. Love held the highly coveted role of Obamaamp;rsquo;s body man, a position The New York Times describes as quot;personal aide, shadow, caretaker, basketball buddy and roving diplomat.quot; Recently, Love, like many young people today, made the tough decision to leave his job in order to co... 2012-01-31 15:31:00
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-shannon-brownlee-escape-fire.html amp;ldquo;30,000 Medicare recipients die each year from care they didnamp;rsquo;t need,amp;rdquo; Shannon Brownlee says in the new documentary Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare. amp;ldquo;Thatamp;rsquo;s the equivalent of a jumbo jet crashing every week. If the aviation industry killed as many people, weamp;rsquo;d be up in arms.amp;rdquo; Escape Fire may be for health care what Charles Fergusonamp;rsquo;s Inside Job was for Wall Street or Davis Guggenheimamp;rsquo;s Waiting f... 2012-01-30 13:46:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-brainstorming-new-yorker.html In a major New Yorker story this week, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer writes about what helps, and what hinders, the creation of new ideas. In his typically accessible and thoroughly researched approach, Lehrer takes down a boardroom staple: the brainstorm. In his debunking of brainstorming's merits, he does the very thing proponents of brainstorming specifically aim to avoidamp;mdash;he criticizes. amp;ldquo;Criticism allows people to dig below the surface of the imagination and come up with... 2012-01-27 16:15:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lev-grossman-time-youtube-future.html In this weekamp;rsquo;s issue of TIME, tech writer Lev Grossman has an eye-opening piece on the growth of YouTube and its battle to replace television sets as the viewing destination of choice. Every minute, a whopping 60 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube, a site that Google paid $1.65 billion for in 2006, and which now attracts roughly 4 billion views a day. Grossman, a celebrated book critic and novelist who is equally adept at parsing web trends, delves into what it means that a large ... 2012-01-26 15:52:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-mitchell-joachim-smart-cars-green-cities.html Please welcome our new speaker Mitchell Joachim, an architect, designer, and TED Fellow whose projects are redefining our built environment and helping usher in the green cities of the 21st century. Joachim's vision is of a future where cities aren't just environmentally neutralamp;mdash;they're environmentally positive. Working at the intersection of biology and technology, he shuns the term sustainability, claiming that quot;it's not evocative enough.quot; quot;You don't want your marriage to ... 2012-01-25 13:59:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-introvert-test-quiet-book-released.html In her Gladwellesque manifesto Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain argues that our culture has been held sway by the quot;Extrovert Idealquot; for over a century. Quiet, in stores today, is her soaring corrective--a clarion call to recognize and reap the abundant strengths and talents of the introverts among us. At least one-third of the people we know are introverts. And some of them don't even know it. By undervaluing introversion, we may be wasting th... 2012-01-24 09:41:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-james-robinson-why-nations-fail-praise.html Harvard's James Robinson and MIT's Daron Acemoglu are set to release Why Nations Failamp;mdash;a gargantuan book in the tradition of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel that explores why some nations are rich while others are poor. They boldly argue that strong institutions, and not geography, lead to thriving societies. The positive reviews are already pouring in. Among the people singing the book's praise are a who's who of leading thinkers, including Steven Levitt (the Freakonomics co-auth... 2012-01-20 09:40:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-margaret-atwood-payback-film-trailer-sundance.html The documentary film version of Margaret Atwood's highly-regarded non-fiction book, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth, makes its world premiere at The Sundance Film Festival this month. The just-released trailer shows the project continues in the spirit of exploring amp;ldquo;debtamp;rdquo; through various human elements, in society, and throughout history. Also titled Payback, the film is directed by Jennifer Baichwal (Manufactured Landscapes) and produced by the National Film Board o... 2012-01-19 12:16:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-sue-gardner-wikipedia-sopa-pipa-blackout.html quot;We want the Internet to remain free and open, everywhere, for everyone,quot; writes Wikimedia Foundation Director Sue Gardner. It's her way of explaining why, today, visitors to Wikipedia are being met with an unfamiliar black screen in place of whatever factual tidbit they were expecting to find. That black screen isn't a bug or a server error. It's a deliberate shutdownamp;mdash;amp;ldquo;an extraordinary moment,amp;rdquo; according to The New York Timesamp;mdash;in protest against two co... 2012-01-18 13:51:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-macarthur-fast-company-personal-brand-tips.html amp;ldquo;U R What You Tweet.amp;rdquo; So says social media speaker Amber Mac in her latest Fast Company article about navigating the potentially treacherousamp;mdash;but rewardingamp;mdash;terrain of building an online personal brand. Itamp;rsquo;s a hot topic for 2012, and Amber, a TV host, consultant and bestselling author, offers five solid tips that, as with most of her work, should resonate with everyone from students to CEOs.Here are the steps and highlights from Amber's Fast Company pie... 2012-01-17 14:24:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-introversion-groupthink-new-york-times.html In her New York Times Sunday Review cover story this week , Susan Cain warns us about the dangers of what she calls the quot;New Groupthinkamp;rdquo;amp;mdash;and explains that forced collaboration can often be less productive than solitude. In the op-ed, and in her book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Cain argues that it is introverts who are often more spectacularly creativeamp;mdash;and who make better leadersamp;mdash;than their more lauded extrovert count... 2012-01-16 11:56:00
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-ted-2012-lavin-speakers-cain-haidt-pinker-esquith.html Technology! Entertainment! Design! The line-up of TED 2012 speakers was announced this week, and itamp;rsquo;s overflowing with the conferenceamp;rsquo;s trademark mix of amp;ldquo;explorers, storytellers, photographers, scientists, pioneers and educators, visionaries and thinkers.amp;rdquo; Of course, the list wouldn't be complete without a healthy cohort of exclusive Lavin speakers. This year's TED group includes four of our own.Jonathan HaidtAt social psychologist Jonathan Haidt's 2009 TED t... 2012-01-13 11:49:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-grantland-football.html In a recent Grantland article, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer looks at one of the most wrenching issues in modern sports: concussions. Only recently has the severity of sports-related brain injuries been brought to public attention, illuminated by, among other things, advances in neuroscience. While concussions at the pro level grab the headlines, the real concern, Lehrer writes, is at the high school and collegiate levels, where kids are quot;getting paid nothing and yet they are paying the ... 2012-01-12 09:47:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-sue-gardner-wikipedia-growing.html This week, Wikipedia announced that it had reached its fundraising goal of $20 million dollars (it takes $29.5 million to run the operation) in a mere 46 days. It's no small featamp;mdash;and would have been impossible without Sue Gardner in charge. Gardner heads the Wikimedia Foundation (which oversees Wikipedia), and before she took the reigns, there were no fundraising drives, no clear strategy for growth, at Wikipedia. Well there were, but as we learned from this glowing Fast Company profile... 2012-01-11 15:09:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-hooman-majd-view-sanctions-iran.html UPDATE: Hooman Majd talked to Foreign Policy about the impact of Iranian sactions on their society. Watch the video HERE.In a recent NPR interview, Hooman Majd discussed the effects of new economic sanctions on regular Iranian citizens. A frequent visitor to Iran and the author, most recently, of The Ayatollahamp;rsquo;s Democracy, Majd is one of Americaamp;rsquo;s foremost experts on U.S.-Iranian relations. On NPR, Majd spoke of new U.S. sanctions against Iran's central bank as well as a propos... 2012-01-10 11:24:00
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alexandra-samuel-ten-reasons-stop-apologizing-online-life-tedx.html In her forceful and at times highly personal talk at TEDx Victoria, Alexandra Samuel spoke on the importance of online life, which is too oftenamp;mdash;and too easilyamp;mdash;discredited as not being quot;real.quot; We have even created an acronym (I.R.L.: quot;In Real Lifequot;) to further separate our offline selves from our online ones. Samuel, who is the Director of Social + Interactive Media Center at Emily Carr University, argues that we need to quot;get over this idea of I.R.L., an... 2012-01-09 12:35:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-better-angels-gay-rights.html In his new masterwork, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Steven Pinker argues that we may be living in the most peaceful era of human history. Though the book is ostensibly about the decline in violence worldwide, a review in Xtra! points to the significance that Pinkeramp;rsquo;s work has for gay rights: amp;ldquo;In one key chapter, The Rights Revolution, the straight-but-not-narrow Montreal native goes into detail about advances in understanding homosexuality.amp;rdquo; From quot;Xtra! Canada'... 2012-01-06 11:01:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-laurie-garrett-bird-flu-ethics.html In a New York Times interview, Laurie Garrett discusses the ethics behind the recent scientific creation of a form of the bird flu virus, and whether or not the findings should be published. As the only person to win the three quot;P'squot; of journalismamp;mdash;the Pulitzer, the Polk and the Peabodyamp;mdash;Garett is one of America's most respected voices on infectious disease and prevention. The ethical questions that surround lab-created diseases are complex, the Times writes. Should inform... 2012-01-05 10:35:15
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alex-steffen-foreign-policy-green-cities.html In a recent article for Foreign Policy's Economy Issue, Worldchanging founder Alex Steffen makes an impassioned case for green urban development as the remedy for a sagging global economy. The concept that reducing emissions and protecting the climate hampers economic development is an outdated philosophy, Steffen says. It was based on the false assumption that waste is growth, that massive industrialization was the end goal, and that wealth equaled pollution. Dense, urban areas are today's engi... 2012-01-04 09:55:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-e-o-wilson-new-book-the-social-conquest-of-earth.html E.O. Wilson is adding to his already astonishing body of award-winning work this April. Wilson's new book, The Social Conquest of Earth, promises to offer more of the big ideas that have made him a legend among his peers and a sought-after speaker around the world. In Conquest, Wilson focuses on how groups, and not family, are the main evolutionary driver of our species. Newsweek has listed the book (along with Jonah Lehrer's Imagine) among twelve must-reads of 2012. From the publisher: Where d... 2012-01-03 11:23:06
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-joshua-goldstein-new-york-times-op-ed-on-war.html In amp;ldquo;War Really is Going Out of Style,amp;rdquo; their bluntly titled and persuasively argued New York Times Op-Ed, Steven Pinker and Joshua Goldstein write that war is simply not part of the human condition and suggest that, as a species, we are moving away from armed conflict. amp;ldquo;The invasion of Iraq was the most recent example of an all-out war between two national armies,amp;rdquo; they write. amp;ldquo;And it could very well be the last one.amp;rdquo; Everywhere you look, war... 2011-12-28 11:56:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alan-lightman-accidental-universe-best-essay-2011.html Scientist and novelist Alan Lightmanamp;rsquo;s quot;The Accidental Universequot;, an article published in Harper's this month, has just been chosen by the Sidney Awards as one of the best magazine essays of 2011. David Brooks, in his New York Times column, wrote of all the Sidney essays:amp;nbsp; amp;ldquo;Anybody interested in being a better person will click the linksamp;hellip;and read attentively.amp;rdquo; Hereamp;rsquo;s his helpful recap of Lightmanamp;rsquo;s expansive piece: Alan Ligh... 2011-12-21 11:45:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-inequality-economics-rich-poor.html Daron Acemoglu, an academic superstar and one of the world's most-cited economists, talks about economic inequality in a major Browser interview this month. The Why Nations Fail author addresses Occupy Wall Street, CEO wages, and the incredibly widening gap between what the rich earn versus what the poor earnamp;mdash;highlighting todayamp;rsquo;s complex wage realities.Here are five things we learned from the interview:Inequality has changed dramatically in the last thirty years and economists ... 2011-12-20 10:06:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-drew-dudley-tedx-mental-health-leadership.html In a recent TEDx talk, Drew Dudley, a charismatic speaker best known for his student leadership initiatives, opened up about a highly personal subject: the mental illness he has suffered from, quietly, for many years. His hope was to use his personal experiences to help others speak freely about their experiences, whether they suffer themselves, or know loved ones who do.Dudley paints a vivid picture of his life with bipolar disorder, a disease that he describes as making quot;my brain think tha... 2011-12-19 11:35:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tzeporah-berman-greenpeace-unlike-coal-facebook.html Tzeporah Berman, co-director of Greenpeace International's climate and energy program, has some amp;ldquo;Likeamp;rdquo;-worthy news. Speaking in The Guardian, the environmentalist says Facebook has shifted to favoring renewable energy for its data-centers instead of coal, a move that amp;ldquo;sets an example for the industry to follow.amp;rdquo; To set that example Berman and Greenpeace needed to nudge the social networking behemoth with a 700,000 strong amp;ldquo;unfriend Facebookamp;rdquo; c... 2011-12-16 09:36:46
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arkadi-kuhlmann-corporate-culture-protest-generation.html Arkadi Kuhlmannamp;mdash;the founding CEO of ING Direct, and a champion of disruptive ideas within the banking industryamp;mdash;spoke to Forbes this week about how to adapt corporate cultures to the needs of the new quot;protest generation.quot; When asked about Occupy Wall Street, Kuhlmann candidly addressed the criticisms of the movement: Theyamp;rsquo;re really raising what you or I, and anyone on the planet, would consider legitimate concerns. What we all criticize them for is that no one... 2011-12-15 12:26:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tina-rosenberg-text-messaging-as-language-savior.html Pulitzer Prize-winner Tina Rosenberg says that text messaging may help near-dead dialects in the developing world find new relevance. (This is a nice rebuff to the argument that text messages are partly responsible for the decline of language.) Writing in The New York Times Magazine, Rosenberg details the emergence of N'Ko, a standardized written form of Mande, which is a collection of closely-related languages spoken by 35 million people in countries across West Africa. The operative word is am... 2011-12-14 10:27:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-manjit-minhas-entrepreneur-success-story.html Last week, both The Financial Post and Calgary Herald ran features on Manjit Minhas, the young female entrepreneur and brewery owner who is making her mark in the lucrativeamp;mdash;and traditionally male-dominatedamp;mdash;beer and spirits industry. Based in Calgary, Minhas has done what few business observers thought possible: start from nothing and successfully compete within the hypercompetitive beer market.On the corporate front, The Financial Post wrote about how sheamp;rsquo;s making wave... 2011-12-13 11:29:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-best-selling-water-book-us.html After just seven months on the shelves, Charles Fishman's The Big Thirst is now the bestselling book on water in the U.S. in the last 25 years. Itamp;rsquo;s safe to say it has entered the pantheon of galvanizing water books, alongside, say, Marc Reisneramp;rsquo;s Cadillac Desert, from 1986. Publishers Weekly calls Fishmanamp;rsquo;s book quot;a comprehensive, remarkably readable panorama of our dependence onamp;mdash;and responsibilities toamp;mdash;a priceless resource.quot; It is now in a po... 2011-12-12 14:45:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rob-walker-branding-anonymous-hacktivism.html In Slate this week, Rob Walker writes about Anonymousamp;mdash;the mysterious hacktivist collective that has been linked to the Occupy movement, various high profile cyber attacks, hilarious memes, and Scientology protests. Providing a great primer on the group, Walker examines how its amp;ldquo;brandingamp;rdquo; effortsamp;mdash;including its headless man logo and its re-appropriation of Guy Fawkes masks from the movie V For Vendettaamp;mdash;has helped the collective permeate mainstream consc... 2011-12-09 14:20:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-introverts-define-happiness-differently.html Are extroverts happier than introverts? According to some studies, they are. But Susan Cain, writing on her Quiet blog, disagrees. She argues that these studies define happiness too narrowly. They fail to account for the types of happiness that appeal to introverts, who tend to prefer quiet, solitary forms of joy over louder, public and collective displays of celebration. To the outsider, Cain acknowledges, this makes introverts seem less happyamp;mdash;but thatamp;rsquo;s not the case. Hereamp;... 2011-12-08 11:12:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-margaret-atwood-payback-nfb-baichwal-film.html Margaret Atwoodamp;rsquo;s prescient non-fiction book Paybackamp;mdash;a history of debt that was release in 2008 at the dawn of our current financial crisisamp;mdash;is now a documentary. It will make its world premier at The Sundance Film Festival in January. The book, which was the #8 Best Book of the Decade, according to the Times of London, was originally delivered by Atwood as a collection of five speeches in five Canadian cities, part of the esteemed Massey Lecture Series.The film version... 2011-12-06 16:27:14
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-gayle-tzemach-lemmon-tedx-women-triggers-worldwide-recovery.html Gayle Tzemach Lemmon kicked off last week's high profile TEDxWomen event with these words: amp;ldquo;We do not invest in victims. We invest in survivors.amp;rdquo; In a rousing opening keynote, Lemmon, the author of The New York Times bestseller The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, spoke about how women, especially in post-conflict zones, are the trigger for economic recovery. The theme of her talk was resilience.With palpable passion, Lemmon shed light on the incredible resiliency of women around the... 2011-12-05 11:19:33
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jessica-jackley-microloan-kiva-economist.html In a new video, Jessica Jackley talks about the role of microfinance to catalyze investments in U.S. entrepreneurship during a time of economic stagnation. Speaking with The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, the KIVA co-founder and CEO of a new veture called ProFounder shares her extensive, and much publicized, experiences in bringing microloans to the masses. She also spoke of quot;the potential [an entrepreneur has]...to change things for the better.quot; Jessica Jackley got her start in micr... 2011-12-02 09:31:03
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rachel-rosenfelt-nyt-criticism-revolution.html Today, The New York Times ran a big feature on Rachel Rosenfelt and her website, The New Inquiry, which has been amp;ldquo;catching the eye of the literary eliteamp;rdquo; and amp;ldquo;earning praise that sounds as extravagantly brainy as the thesis-like articles that [it] uploads every few days.amp;rdquo; Rachel (above, far right) works at The Lavin Agency by day, as one of our awesome college agents.The Times says many of The New Inquiryamp;rsquo;s articles amp;ldquo;make The Paris Review loo... 2011-12-01 12:53:13
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-douglas-merrill-smaller-companies-win-war-on-talent.html One of the striking difficulties for new companies is attracting top-notch talent. How can a start-up hope to compete with the Googles, the Facebooks and the Groupons of the world? In a recent blog post, Douglas Merrillamp;mdash;former Chief Information Officer at Google, where he oversaw 1,500 terrifically skilled employeesamp;mdash;shares his tips for finding great talent.The first way is to simply grow top notch talent yourself. In the case of Merrill's new ZestCash, he quot;hired new grads f... 2011-11-30 13:30:03
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eaves-governments-social-media.html In our increasingly web-based work world, the question of how government employees should use the internetamp;mdash;including social mediaamp;mdash;is a pressing concern. In a recent blog post, David Eaves, one of the worldamp;rsquo;s leading open government advocates, reviews Canadaamp;rsquo;s new guidelines for web use by its public servants. What he found is that the country is still well behind where governments should be, and need to be, in order to stay competitive and transparent. One sec... 2011-11-28 12:38:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lev-grossman-innovators-time-cover.html Bestselling fantasy author Lev Grossman has written the cover story for this weekamp;rsquo;s TIME magazine, the special amp;ldquo;Invention Issue.amp;rdquo; Fittingly, Grossman, who is also the magazineamp;rsquo;s chief book critic and tech writer, introduces the yearamp;rsquo;s 50 best inventionsamp;mdash;one-time fantasies that have become incredible realities. In amp;ldquo;Reinventing the Inventor,amp;rdquo; Grossman suggests inventors have been left at the wayside as a group that he calls op... 2011-11-25 11:09:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-joseph-heath-occupy-movement-misses-mark.html In a recent Uptown interview, Joseph Heathamp;mdash;the Rebel Sell co-author and fearless economics speakeramp;mdash;muses on everything from consumerism to the various Occupy movements, proving why he can lucidly explain economics to pretty much anyone. Talking about the Occupy movement, Heath argues that the Canadian versions are not as powerful as their American counterparts because they are protesting the wrong things. Hereamp;rsquo;s Heath: Whatamp;rsquo;s going on in the United States is ... 2011-11-24 11:50:28
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-doug-stephens-retail-prophet-e-commerce-vacuum.html In a recent interview, Doug Stephens discussed Canada's dreadful e-commerce vacuum as well asamp;mdash;his favorite topicamp;mdash;the future of retail. As Stephens points out, 96% of Canadian households have high-speed internet access, yet only 8% of Canadian businesses do business online. This discrepancy is much higher than that of the U.S., where online shopping has completely changed the face of the retail business. (Stephens, in his role as founder of Retail Prophet, charts even the tinies... 2011-11-23 12:34:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bruce-philp-consumer-republic-branding-airline-canadian-business.html In a recent Canadian Business article, branding expert Bruce Philp explains the vital importance of branding in the context of the airline industry, where quot;pretzels can make the difference between profit and loss.quot; Philp, the author of Consumer Republic, is perhaps our most articulate proponent of the brand as a powerful and necessary tool for both consumers and corporations. In the article, Philp looks at Air Canada's struggle to define itself as a brand as they plan to launch a new los... 2011-11-22 13:51:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-gruber-obamacare-romneycare-politics-health-care.html Jonathan Gruber, widely regarded as one of the twenty most powerful people in American health care and an architect of health care plans for both Mitt Romney's amp;ldquo;Romneycareamp;rdquo;amp;nbsp; and Barack Obama's amp;ldquo;Obamacareamp;rdquo; is miffed by the political games being played around what he sees as the amp;ldquo;most important social policy accomplishment since the 1960s.amp;rdquo; He's referring, of course, of the future of Obama's Affordable Health Care Act. The Supreme Court... 2011-11-21 14:08:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kwame-anthony-appiah-obama-rating-poor.html In a recent interview with The Root, Kwame Anthony Appiah was asked to rate Obama's presidency from his inauguration to present day. A leading American intellectual, Appiah is also one of Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers, the author of several books on justice and society, and a professor at Princeton. Appiah begins the interview by stating that as President, Obama is actually quite restricted in what he can and can't do: quot;When President Obama was elected, I told my friends that we w... 2011-11-18 11:03:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-joshua-goldstein-huffington-post-china-us-cold-war.html Preeminent IR expert Joshua Goldstein wrote the book on international relations. Literally. It's a textbook, aptly titled International Relations, used by thousands of university students. Goldstein is also a keen observer of America's current foreign policy maneuvers. Writing in the Huffington Post this week, he dissects a amp;ldquo;pivotamp;rdquo; being made by the Obama administration that could lead to deeper trade and cooperation if done correctly, or lead to a new Cold War with China, if b... 2011-11-17 12:14:32
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-shannon-brownlee-treat-obesity-like-smoking.html In a recent TIME article, Shannon Brownlee makes a passionate plea for a more aggressive approach to lowering obesity. Obesity is a massive problem in the United States, and according to a report in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, as health hazards go, it now rivals smoking. Why is it, then, that proposals to fight obesity with the same methods that have helped lower rates of smoking amp;mdash; government health initiatives, higher taxes, and the outright banning of smoking in alm... 2011-11-16 13:29:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-speaking-wage-gaps-lobbying-bad.html Daron Acemoglu, one of the world's foremost authorities on economics, feels uneasy about what's going on in Italy. amp;ldquo;If Italy starts wobbling, it could be really bad news for the world economy,amp;rdquo; he said recently to hundreds attending the 26th annual Henry George Lecture at the University of Scranton. The renowned MIT economist offered a clear and informed forecast for the world economy, which included concerns around income inequality, and the influence of lobbying on politics. ... 2011-11-15 15:06:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rahaf-harfoush-facebook-tracking-everything.html In the Mark this week, digital strategist Rahaf Harfoush has an eye-opening piece outlining Facebook's increasing appetite for collecting, and eventually sharing, your personal data. Harfoush disentangles Facebook's recently announced changes, which include tracking all of your Facebook actions, and quietly collecting data you might not be aware ofamp;mdash;like whose profile you're viewing, and even what websites you visit when you're not logged into Facebook. The picture Harfoush paints is sta... 2011-11-11 10:36:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-why-we-eat-too-much.html Neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer has a knack for bridging academic papers and the realities faced by regular people. In his latest piece for Wired, Lehrer wrangles waistlines. More specifically, he highlights studies that show we are actually really bad at figuring out when we're full. It's a problem that affects more and more people in North America when you consider the fact that serving sizes have grown 40 percent in the last 25 years. Lehrer points to two studies: one shows that we'll unkno... 2011-11-10 10:30:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arkadi-kuhlmann-culture-driven-leadership-rock-then-roll-book.html As the chairman and president of ING Direct, Arkadi Kuhlmann is one of North America's most respected executives. In his latest book, Rock then Roll, Kuhlmann eschews the traditional model of top-down corporate leadership, championing the culture-driven leadership that helped ING Direct become one of the most disruptive market forces of the past decade. In an interconnected and ever-changing marketplace, business creativity is now the driving force behind bottom-line success. Archaic models of t... 2011-11-09 12:34:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jack-goldstone-population-bomb-seven-billion-people.html As the global population tipped past the 7 billion mark this month, and as it marches closer to a projected 10 billion by the end of the century, serious questions about the future of our planet are surfacing. In a recent Daily Beast article, demographics expert Jack Goldstone outlined the main issues facing a 10 billion-strong Earth. For Goldstone, where the increases are occurring is perhaps the most telling factor in determining the challenges we will soon face. Of the additional 3 billion pe... 2011-11-08 11:31:49
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eaves-public-sector-work-innovation.html The perceived holy grail of public sector employment may not be all it's cracked up to be. In a recent Maclean's article, David Eaves, a renowned public policy speaker, explains why: Yes, there are good salaries, pensions, and job security in government jobs. But even if you're making good money, Eaves says, quot;if you feel you are making good money filling a hole you had to digamp;mdash;that can actually be really frustrating.amp;rdquo; Eaves concludes that many public servants are handcuffed ... 2011-11-07 15:11:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-schools-must-embrace-introverts.html Last week, Susan Cain, author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Canamp;rsquo;t Stop Talking, spoke to a capacity crowd of private school leaders and admissions directors in New York. Focusing on the natural strengths of introverts (and, specifically, introverted children), Cain's customized talk sought to change the way our educational institutions view kids who belong to the amp;ldquo;quieter third of the population.amp;rdquo; According to the Montessori Manhattan and Upper West... 2011-11-04 11:37:40
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-dan-austin-cycling-developing-world-speaks-with-broken-foot.html Dan Austinamp;mdash;founder of 88 Bikes, the social enterprise that gives bicycles to impoverished youth around the globeamp;mdash;delivered an outstanding speech to students at St. Augustine last week. By outstanding we mean he was literally out standing in front of the students, just one day after tearing his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with the school team! (He finished his talk, with no visible drop-off in energy, and then checked himself into a hospital for emergency surgery!) ... 2011-11-03 11:36:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-shannon-brownlee-doctors-bad-at-talking-to-patients.html In a recent TIME magazine story, leading health care expert Shannon Brownlee tackles the under-discussed issue of doctor-patient communications, and highlights a counterintuitive approach to medical educationamp;mdash;through the humanities. We've all been there: face to face with a doctor, nodding pleasantly while not understanding a word that's being said. Itamp;rsquo;s the dreaded 'medical mumbo-jumbo' that advocates like Brownlee hope to erase.As Brownlee points out: quot;When patients donam... 2011-11-02 11:55:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-haidt-occupy-wall-street-moral-makeup.html Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, whose work focuses on morality and emotion and how they vary across cultures, paid a visit to Occupy Wall Street in New York recently. He took with him a camera and something called the Moral Foundations Theory. His goal: to make sense of the OWS protesters' motivations. Writing about his findings in Reason, Haidt outlines the six moral clusters that people fit into (care/harm, fairness/cheating and liberty/oppression), then concludes that the protesters lean ... 2011-11-01 15:05:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-innovation-exploiting-chaos-free-online.html When Jeremy Gutscheamp;rsquo;s award-winning book, Exploiting Chaos, was originally released, it won accolades for its beautiful design and for its clear-eyed elaboration on the idea that many great companies (Disney, HP, etc.) were formed during recessions. Now, the book has been completely updated with all new interactive videos that bring fresh lifeamp;mdash;and a new perspectiveamp;mdash;to the content. Better yet: itamp;rsquo;s entirely free. The YouTube video above is just a silent tour; t... 2011-10-31 14:28:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alexandra-samuel-social-media-anxiety-government.html Social media speaker Alexandra Samuel has an insightful new video about how to cope with social media overloadamp;mdash;a new phenomenon people are experiencing at work and even at home. In the short and snappy clip, Samuel, head of Emily Carramp;rsquo;s Social + Interactive Media Centre, also addresses the intersection of social media and government, discussing how the public sector can leverage new tools to embrace the changing face of popular engagement and interaction. A final section looks ... 2011-10-28 15:35:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-mercer-rant-teen-bullying-viral.html On The Rick Mercer Report this week, Mercer turned his trademark Rant into a rousing call to action against the bullying of young gay people. Now, that video has gone viral. Best known for his political satire, Mercer was responding to the suicide of Jamie Hubley, a talented but depressed teenager who was relentlessly bullied for being gay. quot;It's no longer good enough for us to tell kids who are different that it's going to get better,quot; Mercer said. quot;We have to make it better now.quo... 2011-10-27 15:33:37
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-macarthur-social-media-cities-hamilton.html Amber MacArthur, host of national mobile tech TV show App Central and one of the leading voices of the web generation, knows her way around technology big and small. Each week she speaks to a mass audience through podcasts and broadcasts, but she's also busy delivering keynotes in front of various clients, such as the Hamilton Hive groupamp;mdash;a speech that landed her on the cover of the Hamilton Spectator this week. In front of this group of under-40 professionals working to renew that city,... 2011-10-27 11:30:33
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kal-penn-white-house-acting-return-la-times.html What do the White House and a fictional youth's trip to White Castle have in common? Until recently, both could be traced to Kal Penn, the Harold and Kumar actor-turned-political staffer who made waves when he left the big screen to work in Washington. Now he's making waves on the way back. This week, The Los Angeles Times has a great look at the trajectory of the multi-talented and unorthodox actor, who put a successful career in entertainment on hold to campaign for the then-underdog Democrati... 2011-10-25 12:45:28
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-doug-stephens-retail-prophet-speech-apple-steve-jobs-video.html In a recent keynote, Retail Prophet founder Doug Stephensamp;mdash;one of the world's only retail industry futuristsamp;mdash;offered a panoramic vision of retail to come. Armed with smart phones and other net tools, consumers are now capable of finding out everything about a product within a click or two. Retailers need to know how to navigate this changing power shift. We are, Stephens says, in the midst of a historic revision of retail in terms of information (what consumers know abo... 2011-10-21 11:46:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bruce-mau-design-occupy-wall-street-guatemala.html For world-renowned designer Bruce Mau, design doesn't begin and end with aestheticsamp;mdash;it actually means changing the world. Mau's infectious optimism permeates his keynotes, and his vision for applying design to social problems is evident in a recent Toronto Standard interview that, among other things, asked Mau on his thoughts about the Occupy Wall Street Movement, which actually bears some similarities to a project he conducted in Guatemala with the aim to design a social movement. From... 2011-10-20 15:57:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-better-angels-of-our-nature-colbert-guardian.html The Guardian published a massive feature this week on renowned cognitive scientist Steven Pinker. In his latest, and arguably most ambitious, book, The Better Angels of Our Nature, Pinker amp;ldquo;challenges one of our deepest but unexamined assumptions amp;ndash; that current and recent times have been the most violent in human history.amp;rdquo;Pinker explains the book himself, in a Qamp;amp;A attached to the story: Believe it or not, violence has been in decline for long stretches of time, ... 2011-10-19 13:20:04
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-uniqueness-drive-identity.html The next time you're standing in line at your hip local indie coffee bar, Jonah Lehrer would like you to look around. The people surrounding you might very well look a lot like youamp;mdash;which defeats the impression of distinctiveness you were hoping to cultivate by eschewing more mainstream coffee options. That strive for uniqueness is the subject of Lehrer's latest Frontal Cortex post for Wired. amp;ldquo;Our uniqueness (at least as consumers) is mostly a sham. Somehow, we all end up in the... 2011-10-18 12:32:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-margaret-atwood-globe-interview-in-other-worlds.html Literary icon Margaret Atwood possesses an incredibly wide cultural range and impactamp;mdash;a fact that's abundantly clear in a new Globe and Mail story that spans her recent accomplishments, including a highly publicized push to save Torontoamp;rsquo;s public libraries and the release of her new non-fiction book on science fiction, In Other Worlds. The piece gives an interesting glimpse into the mind of Atwood, from her quips about a crow's memory (they'll definitely remember you if you shoot... 2011-10-17 14:43:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-occupy-wall-street-five-tips.html Rolling Stoneamp;rsquo;s Matt Taibbi has been combating Wall Street corruption for years nowamp;mdash;through a series of provocative articles, and in his bestselling book Griftopia. So it makes sense that heamp;rsquo;d make a trip to survey the scene at Occupy Wall Street. Simply put, he loves it, colorfully describing the movement as amp;ldquo;the logical answer to the Tea Party and a long-overdue middle finger to the financial elite.amp;rdquo; In this weekamp;rsquo;s Rolling Stone, Taibbi wri... 2011-10-17 10:59:32
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-maeda-stem-steam-conference-core77-steve-jobs.html World-renowned artist, designer, computer scientist and educator John Maeda continues his push to include Art into an American education system seemingly focused only on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math betteramp;mdash;known as the STEM model; he would like to turn it into the STEAM model. At the recent STEM to STEAM Forum, spearheaded by Maeda and Rhode Island Congressman Jim Langevin, Maeda made huge strides in garnering awareness. Earlier, in June, he drew national attention to the ... 2011-10-14 16:11:19
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lisa-shannon-sexual-violence-somalia.html There's a crisis in the Horn of Africa, and it's not just around food. Writing in The Guardian, grassroots activist Lisa Shannon alerts us to the dramatically escalating sexual violence spreading in Somaliaamp;mdash;the silent catastrophe lost in coverage of the region's devastation. amp;ldquo;Sexual violence is being de-prioritised as primarily a psychosocial issue. This is a deadly miscalculation. We cannot allow the crisis in Somalia to relegate women's security to an optional extra. As sexua... 2011-10-13 16:26:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-financial-post-entrepreneur-profile.html In the Financial Post this week, Jeremy Gutsche talks about what inspired him to leave his cushy management consultant job at Capital One to concentrate full-time on Trend Hunter, the world's most influential trend website. As Gutsche tells the Post, his driving entrepreneurial spirit is second nature: quot;I guess I was always just an entrepreneur at heartamp;mdash;desperately looking for what my next big idea would be, and that started when I was just a kid. Pretty much every decision I made i... 2011-10-12 15:11:27
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-pandemic-control-shift.html If you've got a pandemic on your hands, the person you'll want on your side is Nathan Wolfe. The founder of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative knows his way around contagions. In fact, he was a consultant on the recent #1 film Contagion, which deals with a fictional virus that's handled in real-world terms. Writing in The Wall Street Journal, Wolfe now offers up a solution to finding real-world viral threats before they get too big. What Wolfe envisions is a shift in the medical community's... 2011-10-11 14:18:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-dr-robert-buckman-in-memoriam-1948-2011.html This weekend, we learned of the sad and very unexpected death of Dr. Robert Buckman, one of the most humane and gregarious people we've ever known. quot;Dr. Bquot; was instrumental in helping bring the notion of empathy to the medical profession. He was also a world class communications expert and, not incidentally, probably the funniest person on the planet. One of our favorite speakers, Rob was first and foremost a great friend. Here is David Lavin: Twenty three years ago Dr. Robert Buckman ... 2011-10-11 11:19:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-gayle-lemmon-nobel-peace-prize.html Today it was announced that three womenamp;mdash;Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakul Karmanamp;mdash;would share the Nobel Peace Prize. The committee cited their quot;non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work.quot; Itamp;rsquo;s a topic that Gayle Tzemach Lemmon has been covering for years, most recently at Newsweek, where sheamp;rsquo;s also a contributing editor. In her New York Times bestselling book, The Dre... 2011-10-07 13:56:06
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-why-some-people-are-better-at-learning.html Popular science prodigy Jonah Lehreramp;mdash;who is always teaching us new things on his Wired blogamp;mdash;writes about learning itself in his latest column. Specifically, Lehrer focuses on the ways your brain reacts to and learns from your mistakes. Technically speaking, there are two signals that your brain sends out following an error, and the size of the spark relates directly to your ability to become a better learner. So, those with a desire to learn from mistakes have stronger reaction... 2011-10-06 14:19:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-occupy-wall-street-keith-olbermann-countdown.html On Keith Olbermannamp;rsquo;s Countdown last week, Matt Taibbiamp;mdash;the Rolling Stone writer and Griftopia authoramp;mdash;gave a sober appraisal of the roots and potential effectiveness of the Occupy Wall Street protests. With his usual flair for metaphor and sharp eye for financial sector rumblings, Taibbi looked at what possible good might come as a result of these sit-ins.From Countdown: What this could do is provide the political support for those activists who are trying to change ver... 2011-10-05 13:02:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arlene-dickinson-toronto-star-persuasion-interview.html Arlene Dickinson has a successful track record of picking companies on the rise. A master entrepreneur with a keen eye for ideas that get results, she relies on instincts for zeroing in on emerging trends and sound investments, a skill exemplified in her role as a panelist on the hit series Dragons' Den. A recent interview in the Toronto Star, keyed to the release of her first book Persuasion, sheds like on Dickinson's personal thoughts and business beliefs.Some things we learn about Dickinson f... 2011-10-04 11:39:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-economist-questions-solutions.html One of the worldamp;rsquo;s most cited economists, Daron Acemoglu has made tremendous strides in answering the big economic questions that have obsessed us for generations. In a far-ranging interview with The Region, he provides a roadmap of fascinating recommendations for today's deeply troubled global economy. Why Nations Fail, Acemogluamp;rsquo;s forthcoming book, co-authored with James Robinson, is shaping up to be one of 2012's most anticipated titlesamp;mdash;a major work of historical, po... 2011-10-03 12:20:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rafe-esquith-teacher-six-levels-moral-development.html Rafe Esquithamp;mdash;one of America's most celebrated public school teachersamp;mdash;is changing the way we think about teaching and education reform. For Esquith, educating kids isn't necessarily about the content of what is being taught; it's about how we treat our students and how we help them grow to be fully developed individuals. In this exclusive Lavin video, Esquith talks about how he teaches his fifth grade class the six levels of moral development, a concept he adapted from psycholog... 2011-09-30 09:54:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-quiet-introvert-manifesto.html For nearly a century, Susan Cain points out, our society has been held captive by quot;The Extrovert Ideal.quot; We've given an inordinate amount of favortism, public trust, and plum jobs to aggressive go-getter-types. In the process, we've downplayed or just ignored the many strengths of the introverts among us. In her forthcoming book, Quiet, Cain convincingly argues that introverts make better decisions, become better leaders, and spark innovation at a faster rate than extroverts. And in her ... 2011-09-29 15:14:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-mother-jones-interview-middle-east.html For insights on everything from 9/11 to Arab Spring, those in the know go to Reza Aslan for answers. A recent profile of Aslan in Mother Jones shows readers where he stands on hotly debated Middle East issues. One thing that's clear: Aslan doesn't tiptoe around when it comes to the region. His television appearances, speeches, interviews, and writing, particularly the recently re-released bestseller No god but God, offer an unheard of level of clarity on one of the murkiest areas of geopoliti... 2011-09-28 11:45:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daryl-morey-moneyball-grantland-reality-check.html In a recent Grantland article, Daryl Morey worries that the film version of Moneyball will give uninitiated audiences a skewed perspective on the nuances of high-stakes sports management. The movie, which debuted at number two at the box office this weekend, centers on how Oakland Aamp;rsquo;s GM Billy Beane turned around his teamamp;rsquo;s fortunesamp;mdash;for a few years anywayamp;mdash;by focusing on statistics. Morey, along with co-author Sam Hinkie, worries about the filmamp;rsquo;s amp;l... 2011-09-26 12:29:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-marcelo-suarez-orozco-illegal-immigrants-study.html In a recent New York Times story, Marcelo Suarez-Orozco reveals the results of a study he conductedamp;mdash;the first of its kindamp;mdash;which paints a bleak portrait of life in America for the children of illegal immigrants. In the United States, nearly five million children, affected by their parentamp;rsquo;s illegal status, are at risk of amp;ldquo;lower educational performance, economic stagnation, blocked mobility and ambiguous belonging,amp;rdquo; Suarez-Orozco writes. quot;[Illegal st... 2011-09-23 12:06:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-joshua-goldstein-winning-the-war-on-war-five-things.html Our new speaker Joshua Goldstein has just released a breakthrough book, Winning the War on War, which centers on the global factorsamp;mdash;such as the success of the United Nationsamp;mdash;that have led to the most peaceful era in modern human history. Steven Pinker, praising the book, says it quot;reveals the greatest untold story of the past two decadesamp;mdash;that contrary to popular impressions, war has become substantially rarer and less dangerous. This book could change the understand... 2011-09-21 14:07:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-sue-gardner-wikipedia-spark-interview.html There's no Wikipedia page devoted to the fact that for every five male editors, the collaborative encyclopedia only has one woman. But, if Sue Gardner has her way, they won't need that article. The matter-of-fact Executive Director of Wikipedia has already introduced major initiatives focused on organizational maturity, long-term sustainability, and the quality of the Foundation's free-knowledge projects. Now, she's turning to female participation. Interviewed on CBC's Spark, Gardner explains wh... 2011-09-20 16:06:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-start-something-that-matters-huffpo-qanda.html According to The Huffington Post, Blake Mycoskie's new book, Start Something That Matters, is perfect for the disillusioned cubicle jockey looking for something meaningful. It's easy to see why. The first book by the founder of TOMS serves up inspiring tales of success from both the non-profit and for-profit sectors (including case studies from method and charity:water), while folding in everything Mycoskieamp;rsquo;s learned from developing his One-for-One giving model. In the article, Mycoskie... 2011-09-19 15:12:14
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-gayle-tzemach-lemmon-clinton-apec-women-economy.html At The Daily Beast, Gayle Lemmon argues that increasing womenamp;rsquo;s roles in the international marketplace will help breathe life back into our ailing global economy. In a powerful piece on Hillary Clinton's APEC speech about women and the economy, Lemmon looks at the damage that has been done to the global marketplace by keeping women out of it. A recent UN report, she points out, revealed that amp;ldquo;the Asia-Pacific region is 'losing $42 to $47 billion per year because of restrictions... 2011-09-16 15:58:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arthur-caplan-bioethicist-michelle-bachmann-vaccine.html UPDATE: Caplan appeared on Anderson Cooper's 360 to further explain his challenge.Republican Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann stirred controversy this week by claiming, on national television, that injecting girls with a preventative vaccine against the human papillomavirus virus (HPV) can lead to mental retardation. The medical community has fired back with a passion. Arthur Caplan, Director of the Center of Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, has offered $10,000 to a charit... 2011-09-16 12:46:14
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tom-wujec-innovation-lavin-agency-talk.html Last month at Lavinamp;rsquo;s annual get-together, staff from New York City and Toronto shared stories and laughter, and talked about the year ahead. Pretty standard annual meeting stuff, right? Not quite. This year, Tom Wujec also led us in one of his famous amp;ldquo;visualize your businessamp;rdquo; sessions, in which he helped us to amp;ldquo;seeamp;rdquo; our company with a fresh perspective. Tom has been a Lavin friend and speaker for years. Heamp;rsquo;s currently a Fellow at Autodesk, w... 2011-09-15 14:52:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-upcoming-book-creativity-imagine.html It may be the eternal question, in both business and the arts: Can we learn how to be more creative? As it turns out, we can, says Jonah Lehrer. Lehrer is the journalist whose writings on neuroscienceamp;mdash;for Wired, The New Yorker, and The New York Times Magazine, among othersamp;mdash;become immediate flashpoints for discussion. In his upcoming book, Imagine: How Creativity Works, Lehrer, the bestselling author, most recently of How We Decide, shows us that creativity is not some near-myst... 2011-09-14 14:20:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arlene-dickinson-persuasion-book-marketing.html Anyone can be persuasive. Disagreeamp;mdash;says Arlene Dickinson in her new book, out now, fittingly titled Persuasionamp;mdash;and you've already shown how good you are at the art of sway. In her much-anticipated first book, Dickinson showcases the same unique combinationamp;mdash;warmth and razor sharp business acumenamp;mdash;she conveys on television, where sheamp;rsquo;s a judge on the top-rated Dragons' Den. Through compelling entertaining personal stories, Persuasion is Dickinsonamp;rsq... 2011-09-13 08:53:09
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-colum-mccann-911-video.html The New York Times released a series of touching clips, titled 'A Cultural View', detailing the effects of 9/11 on the lives of eight New York artists. Colum McCann was one of those eight. McCann starts out by recalling his experience, and how, as a writer, even the seemingly insignificant elements of New York suddenly took on meaning. He goes on to say that 9/11 wasnamp;rsquo;t just one event, but a repeating moment in time: amp;ldquo;It continually happens, and therefore we have to react to it... 2011-09-12 14:35:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-laurie-garrett-contagion-global-health-heard-the-sirens-scream.html Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Laurie Garrett served as a consultant on Steven Soderberghamp;rsquo;s new film, Contagion, in theaters today, about a team of doctors racing to stop the spread of a deadly airborne virus. Itamp;rsquo;s a subject for which Garrett, author of the bestselling book The Coming Plague, is an authority. At premiere of the film, which stars Matt Damon, Kate Winslet, and Gwyneth Paltrow, Garrett was a surprise hitamp;mdash;drawing endless questions about the likeliho... 2011-09-09 15:27:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-andrea-elliott-generation-9-11-muslims-today.html In The New York Times this week, Andrea Elliott writes about the generation of Muslim Americans who came of age in the decade following 9/11. Drawing on a polyphony of voices, Elliott discovers that, in the ten years since September 11th, some of this country's young Muslims have embraced their faith with a new-found vigor. Others have left it behind. In 2007, Elliott won the Pulitzer Prize for her three-part investigative series amp;ldquo;Muslims in America,amp;rdquo; an engaging look at the co... 2011-09-09 14:05:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-randall-kennedy-race-america-obama-cnn.html With the 2012 election looming, Randall Kennedy appeared on CNN to discuss whether Barack Obama's presidency has been clouded by racially charged distractions from his opponents. Put another way: is Obama less respected than any other previous president because heamp;rsquo;s black? The answer, Kennedy says, matter-of-factly, is yes. Kennedyamp;rsquo;s new book, The Persistence of the Color Line, deals directly with race and politics during Obama's time in office.amp;nbsp;During the interview, Ke... 2011-09-08 15:32:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-new-book-start-something-that-matters.html UPDATE: Start Something That Matters is now #1 on Amazon!Start Something That Matters,amp;nbsp;Blake Mycoskie's first book, is now on shelves.amp;nbsp;Start Something That Matters, which took two years to write, aims, in Mycoskieamp;rsquo;s words, amp;ldquo;to influence other people to go out into the world and have a positive impact, to inspire others to start something that matters.amp;rdquo; And the book doesn't just focus on TOMS, it also features an A-list peer group of social entrepreneurs... 2011-09-07 12:46:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tina-rosenberg-somalia-camps-self-settlement.html Refugee camps are virtually synonymous with humanitarian crises these days. In Somalia, for instance, amp;nbsp;the worst drought in 60 years has led to over 400,000 people jamming into a refugee camp built to hold 90,000 in Dadaab, Kenya. Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tina Rosenberg says it doesn't need to be this way. In her New York Times Fixes column last week, she argues that amp;ldquo;enforced idleness and dependencyamp;rdquo; in places that are amp;ldquo;one step removed from hellamp;rdquo... 2011-09-07 12:30:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jessica-jackley-kiva-microloan-video.html Five years and four million Kiva microloans make for a gorgeous and inspiring time-lapse videoamp;mdash;one of the most persuasive information graphics ever. But not only is the video a stunner, so, too, is the story of Jessica Jackley, the co-founder of Kiva. The video, played out against a map of the world, begins with a hesitant volley of tiny projectiles moving from lenders to borrowers: each small dot represents one loan. The beginning of the video, which is sparsely dotted, coincides with ... 2011-09-06 15:31:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kal-penn-new-show-united-nations.html Kal Penn's latest television project will have him playing a role heamp;rsquo;s familiar with: an employee of the U.S. government. Penn, who just finished a three-year term as Associate Director of the White Houseamp;rsquo;s Office of Public Engagement, is slated to star as a amp;ldquo;key assistant to the U.S. ambassadoramp;rdquo; in the yet-to-be-titled comedy. The show is set at the United Nations, and according toamp;nbsp;Pasteamp;nbsp;magazine, will likely use Pennamp;rsquo;s amp;ldquo;own ... 2011-09-06 14:53:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-toms-olsen-mary-kate-ashley-honduras.html TOMS founder Blake Mycoskie knows how to inspire. Since creating his influential One for One business modelamp;mdash;in which TOMS gives a pair of shoes to a child need for every pair it sellsamp;mdash;the tireless social entrepreneur has inspired others to take up his cause. Joining Mycoskie for a recent shoe drop were fashion icons Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. In a touching video, shot in Honduras, they talk about what it means to put shoes on young children who need them. Says Mary-Kate: amp;l... 2011-09-01 15:56:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-rushdie-memoir-film-emory-professor.html Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie has just been named University Distinguished Professor at Emory University, where he's served as Distinguished Writer in Residence for the past five years. The new job means, amp;ldquo;Rushdie's teaching role will expand to include participation in courses across the university and engagement with faculty in areas of mutual interest.amp;rdquo; The position, big news in and of itself, is just the latest in a series of exciting developments for Rushdie.A ... 2011-09-01 13:35:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jared-diamond-e-o-wilson-books-time-one-hundred-best.html TIME has just released its list of the 100 best non-fiction books of all timeamp;mdash;a grand compendium that includes titles by two Lavin exclusive speakers. Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel was included in the social history section, while Edward O. Wilson's On Human Nature made the science section. Both books, incidentally, also received the Pulitzer Prize.TIME had this to say of Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel: In 1532, when Francisco Pizarro met Incan emperor Atahualpa in what woul... 2011-08-31 15:16:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-stephen-prothero-religion-natural-disasters-belief-blog-irene.html How many Americans think Hurricane Ireneamp;mdash;or any natural disasteramp;mdash;is Godamp;rsquo;s doing? This is the question Stephen Prothero, a religious expert and repeat Colbert guest, tackles in his latest post for CNNamp;rsquo;s Belief Blog. Riding out the storm in Cape Cod, Prothero writes, amp;ldquo;American society as a whole no longer interprets natural disasters as signs of some coming apocalypse or evidence of some past misdeeds. And those that do ([Pat] Robertson, for example), w... 2011-08-31 11:54:17
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-reality-tv-reality-check.html amp;ldquo;Reality television needs reformation,amp;rdquo; says Virginia Heffernan, whomamp;nbsp;Ad Week recently called amp;ldquo;the best media writer at The New York Times.amp;rdquo; An admitted fan of low-rent reality shows, Heffernan drops the gloves in her latest Op-Ed, declaring the genre damaging to lives, the TV business, and the public trust. She argues that there needs to be a clearer divide between what is real and what is skewed.amp;nbsp;amp;ldquo;Like game-show contestants,amp;rdquo... 2011-08-30 13:02:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-convocation-speech-grit.html Neuroscience speakeramp;nbsp;Jonah Lehreramp;nbsp;delivered a convocation speech at Earlham College, and unlike the kind of 'follow your dreams' motivational fare you'd expect, he made a special point of telling grads that their dreams weren't necessarily going to come true. Based on Angela Duckworth's grit personality trait measurement, Lehrer suggested those armed with high grit have an ability to select the right goals from the get-go. He presents a benchmark test that involves underpants. Ba... 2011-08-29 15:38:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kal-pen-late-late-show-obama.html Kal Penn, who recently left his postamp;nbsp;at the White House, hasn't fully shed his Office of Public Engagement skin just yet. In an interview with Craig Ferguson on Theamp;nbsp;Late Late Show, Penn talked about the Obama administration and the current economic state of America. amp;ldquo;The president kind of saved us from a second Great Recessionamp;mdash;a huge economic collapse, but things are still not good enough. The fact that they could have been worse is not something that people can... 2011-08-29 15:36:01
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-obama-easy-on-banks-election.html Matt Taibbi's not letting up with his onslaught on banks, whose scheming, he says, amp;ldquo;led to millions of people losing their homes.amp;rdquo; Following his ground-shaking SEC exposamp;eacute; last week, the Rolling Stone writer takes aim at none other than President Barack Obama. Taibbi suggests that Obama is working with banks and state officials to cook up a amp;ldquo;seriously discountedamp;rdquo; fine for all the banks' financial misdeeds. The fine is in the neighborhood of $20 billio... 2011-08-26 13:51:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-dan-lyons-lev-grossman-alan-deutschmann-steve-jobs-apple.html It's the end of an era for Apple. Steve Jobs, arguably the most influential business leader of our time, has stepped down as the company's CEO. Noted tech scribe Dan Lyons, who made waves with his penetrating and satirical blog Fake Steve Jobs, has a good Daily Beast story on the closing of this important chapter. Lyons doesn't exactly predict a doom-laden future for Apple, but he does raise some questions around the company's significant loss. Remember, Apple did fire Jobs once, and it was only... 2011-08-25 11:48:15
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jessica-jackley-social-entrepreneur-profounder.html Gathering up venture capital for your brilliant idea just got a lot easier thanks to another brilliant idea from Jessica Jackley. The founder of Kiva, the foremost microlending website letting users lend as little as $25 to entrepreneurs in developing nations, is at it again with ProFounder. The service collects and organizes capital from entrepreneurs ponying up as little as $1,000. This model works with the understanding that upstart projects are predominantly funded by creators' families and ... 2011-08-24 13:02:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-new-book.html Whenever Steven Pinker, the amp;ldquo;hyper-articulateamp;rdquo; Harvard psychology professor, releases a new book, the mediaamp;mdash;and, more importantly, the publicamp;mdash;takes notice. Following up on his book The Stuff of Thought, about how language helps shape who we are, Pinker is set to release The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined. Years in the making, the book argues that despite what we might thinkamp;mdash;with wars raging and crime headlines monopolizing fron... 2011-08-23 13:45:01
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-billy-beane-moneyball-movie-trailer-brad-pitt.html The film version of Moneyball amp;mdash; based on Michael Lewisamp;rsquo;s book about revolutionary Oakland Aamp;rsquo;s GM Billy Beane amp;mdash; is not due in theatres untilamp;nbsp;this September, but some early reviews are already in. A write-up was recently posted on Hollywood Elsewhere: amp;ldquo;I loved it, and I didnamp;rsquo;t expect to. Itamp;rsquo;s a baseball-from-the-business-angle movie, for goodness sake, and to be honest on my way over I was asking myself, amp;lsquo;why am i e... 2011-08-22 14:56:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-tedmed-video.html Virus hunter, and acclaimed biologist Nathan Wolfe takes us on a tour of 7 million years of pandemic history in a newly posted TEDMED video. In just a few minutes he expertly highlights the major shifts and major solutions surrounding the current and future battle against viral illnesses. Wolfe illustrates how human evolution has made pandemics easier to spread. Besides being carnivores, getting jammed in a population bottleneck that damaged our microbial defenses, domesticating animals, and liv... 2011-08-22 12:38:44
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-rolling-stone-expose-sec.html Few political writers have the skill to take your rage from zero to ten the way Rolling Stone's Matt Taibbi does. This week, the blunt-talking scribe broke a major story on the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), which sent other media outletsamp;mdash;The New York Times, Bloomberg, everyoneamp;mdash;scrambling to catch up. At heart, Taibbi, drawing on whistleblower Darcy Flynn's testimony, exposed the SECamp;rsquo;s destruction of investigation records going back to 1993. amp;ldquo;The SEC, u... 2011-08-19 11:15:35
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rafe-esquith-teacher-education-reform-america.html Rafe Esquithamp;mdash;the man The Washington Post calls amp;ldquo;the most influential classroom teacher in Americaamp;rdquo;amp;mdash;has been teaching at Hobart Elementary for nearly three decades. In a neighborhood riddled with crime and violence, Esquith has carved out a space where he teaches kids math, science, English and, most famously, Shakespeare. Virtually all his students live in poverty and speak English as a second language. But they voluntarily show up to school early and go on to... 2011-08-18 14:48:37
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arlene-dickinson-visits-lavin-toronto.html Yesterday, Arlene Dickinson, one of Canadaamp;rsquo;s most renowned marketers, and the only female judge on Dragonsamp;rsquo; Den, stopped by Lavinamp;rsquo;s Toronto office to talk about leadership, branding, and the constellation of new projectsamp;mdash;including ventures into wine, chocolate, coffee, and perfumeamp;mdash;sheamp;rsquo;s set to release. Dickinson was frank, off-handedly funny, and, down-to-earthamp;mdash;just like she is on television, and in her new book, Persuasion, on sale ... 2011-08-17 14:46:38
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-economist-top-five-white-house-national-policy.html President Barack Obama faces an unprecedented financial crisis, with each new day bringing fresh challenges and, often, harrowing economic news. To make matters worse, his top economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, has just left his post. Luckily, National Journal has compiled a list of five top economic minds that should replace himamp;mdash;and could, more broadly, inject some bold thinking into Washington. Daron Acemoglu, author of Why Nations Fail, is on that list. The young MIT professor, who w... 2011-08-16 11:43:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jon-gruber-comic-book-health-reform-profile.html According to a recent Slate profile, health care speaker Jonathan Gruber will play an increasingly important role in the years to come. The amp;ldquo;silver-tonguedamp;rdquo; MIT economics professor, Slate points out, will be critical to both Republican and Democrat approaches to reforming health care. The parties differ on whether the system should be built from scratch or simply renovated, but three pillars support both approaches. Gruber identifies them as: amp;ldquo;preventing insurance comp... 2011-08-15 12:18:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-maeda-new-book-redesigning-leadership.html World-renowned artist, graphic designer, and educator John Maeda has worked to integrate technology, education, and the arts into a 21st century synthesis of creativity and innovation. In 2008, Maeda became president of the Rhode Island School of Design. That same year, Esquire named him one of the 75 most influential people of the 21st century. Now Maeda shares his model for emerging leaders in his new book, Redesigning Leadership. From the publisher: When designer and computer scientist John ... 2011-08-11 15:17:17
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daryl-morey-success-in-raw-numbers.html First, Daryl Morey upended the sports world. Now, the business sector is taking note. In a recent post for The Harvard Business Review, Morey, the young GM of the NBAamp;rsquo;s Houston Rockets, wrote about the power of using statistical analysis to make key strategic decisions. A graduate of MITamp;rsquo;s Sloan school with no playing or coaching experience, Morey has nevertheless found success by using advanced statistics that go far beyond the measurements that other teams rely onamp;mdash;na... 2011-08-11 09:41:35
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-digital-education-speaker-schools-upgrade.html Virginia Heffernan wants parents to remember the number 65 as they send their kids back to school this fall. That's the percentage of kids today who are expected to end up working at jobs that have yet to be invented. The question becomes: how well is our education system preparing them for this exciting future? Using Cathy Davidsonamp;rsquo;s new book, Now You See It, as a spring board, Heffernan argues in a New York Times op-ed that schools are stuck in an amp;ldquo;industrial-eraamp;rdquo; mi... 2011-08-10 11:10:04
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alex-steffen-ted-talk-changing-cities.html In a new TED Talk, Alex Steffenamp;mdash;editor of the acclaimed Worldchanging booksamp;mdash;explains how overwhelming problems, such as our environmental crisis, lead to oversimplified solutions. His example: the near-obsessive push to eliminate fossil fuels. Steffen suggests humanity is setting itself up to fail if too much attention is placed on clean energy and not enough is allocated to building cities the right way in the face of future population growth. amp;ldquo;What we're talking abou... 2011-08-09 11:04:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-hindustan-times-india.html Things keep getting more awesome for Neil Pasricha, the blogger-turned-positivity powerhouse-turned TED speaker. Last week, one of India's largest newspapers, The Hindustan Times, ran a cover story on Pasricha for its Books section--a piece that re-established his roots in the subcontinent. His mother is an Indian from Nairobi, and his father emigrated to Canada from Tarn Taran in Punjab. Anyone who saw Pasrichaamp;rsquo;s much-loved TED Talk will be familiar with his parentsamp;rsquo; immigrat... 2011-08-09 08:39:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-independent-profile.html We know neuroscience speaker David Eagleman has written a New York Times bestselling book about our brains, called Incognito. We know he's the man behind the exploratory Possibilianism movement, which carves a much-needed space between religion and atheism. We know he can hold his own on The Colbert Report. Now, thanks to a feature profile in The Independent, we know even more about this genius polymath whom the paper calls amp;ldquo;The Malcolm Gladwell of neuroscience.amp;rdquo; 1. He origin... 2011-08-08 08:39:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-deborah-fallows-understanding-china.html For three years, Deborah Fallows lived in China, using languageamp;mdash;specifically Mandarinamp;mdash;as a prism through which to understand the Chinese people, their culture, their traditions, and their hopes and aspirations. Her adventures are captured, beautifully, in Dreaming in Chinese, a unique and illuminating book that is part travel memoir, part cultural reportage. Fallowsamp;rsquo; ground-level and exceedingly humane view of China stands in contrast to that of many other U.S.-based c... 2011-08-05 10:27:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arlene-dickinson-art-of-persuasion.html In her much-anticipated first book, Persuasion, Arlene Dickinsonamp;nbsp; showcases the same unique combination of warmth and razor sharp business acumen that she conveys on television, where sheamp;rsquo;s a judge on the top-rated Dragons' Den. Using tips from the marketing trade and a powerful personal narrative, Dickinson teaches you how to listen, how to sell ideas, how to deal with skeptics, how to turn the tide on errors, and how to see beyond the impossible, as she did.From the publisher:... 2011-08-04 11:06:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-robert-buckman-medical-communications-toronto-life.html If going to the doctor and receiving bad news is hard, imagine how much tougher it can be if bad communicationamp;mdash;where practitioners misstate, misread, and miscommunicate vital information to youamp;mdash;is thrown into the mix. That's the sentiment of a recent Toronto Life story on the disastrous effects of miscommunication, especially in the high stakes world of ahealth care. A central figure in the story, fittingly, is Dr. Robert Buckman, a medical oncologist at The University of To... 2011-08-04 08:11:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-economic-uncertainty-creates-opportunity.html On the same day that President Obama signed the debt ceiling bill, innovation speaker Jeremy Gutsche reminded us that economic uncertainty and changes in consumer behavior create opportunities for entrepreneurs. As big companies grow more conservative, smaller companies can jump in and offer something cool. Appearing on Shira Lazaramp;rsquo;s Whatamp;rsquo;s Trending, the founder and CEO of TrendHunter.com shared a list of companies that started during times of economic recession. Disney, I... 2011-08-03 11:31:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-paul-kedrosky-groupon-tech-bubble.html Paul Kedrosky, author of one of the world's most popular financial blogs, appeared on Bloomberg recently to separate the hype from the reality surrounding Groupon, the online coupon service that just teamed up with location-based social network, Foursquare. With his signature wit, the trusted investor explained how the union was a natural move for the two companies, but also raised flags about Groupon's own valuation metrics which tailor company expenses traditionally calculated at $387 million... 2011-08-02 11:52:35
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chuck-klosterman-new-novel-the-visible-man.html Lavin speaker and pop culture pontificator Chuck Klosterman has a new book out this fall, The Visible Man. Itamp;rsquo;s his second novel, following the Friday Night Lights-esque glory ofamp;nbsp;Downtown Owl. Pre-order from Amazon here. From the publisher: From the provocative cultural commentator and author who amp;ldquo;makes good, smart companyamp;rdquo; ( The New York Times ) comes an imaginative page-turner about a therapist and her unusual patientamp;mdash;a man who can render himself in... 2011-08-02 09:40:09
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-marcelo-suarez-orozco-on-oslo-immigration-huff-po.html amp;ldquo;The irrational fear of immigration does not align with the facts,amp;rdquo; says Marcelo Suarez-Orozco. In a recent Huffington Post article, he addresses the tragedy in Norway, where Anders Behring Breivik killed dozens of people, acting on his worldview that amp;ldquo;Muslim Colonizationamp;rdquo; would result in the catastrophic destruction of Europe. In reality, Norway has a small Muslim community, comprising only a quarter of its immigrant population; of the countryamp;rsquo;s 550,... 2011-07-29 16:33:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kal-penn-last-day-at-the-white-house.html Today, actor Kal Penn leaves the White House after a three-year stint as Associate Director of the Office of Public Engagement. He describes his time serving his country as both amp;ldquo;awe-inspiringamp;rdquo; and amp;ldquo;humbling.amp;rdquo; In 2009, the former star of House, 24, and the Harold and Kumar franchise shocked Hollywood by stopping his career, midstream, to engage in politics full time. Though there is a long tradition of actors endorsing politicians, Pennamp;mdash;whose birth na... 2011-07-29 13:24:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daniel-tammet-perception-ted-talk.html quot;I want to talk to you about perception,quot; says Daniel Tammet, who has synesthesia. To him, words, numbers and colors appear woven together. He sees numbers as colorful objects and mathematical equations as beautiful paintings. The high-functioning autistic savantamp;mdash;one of only 50 in the worldamp;mdash;conveys his unique way of looking at things in this mindbending TED talk. He explores new ways of computing the world through adjusting the way we view our reality. amp;ldquo;Persona... 2011-07-28 15:31:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-haidt-debt-ceiling-partisan-moral-matrix.html If ever there was a week for Democrats and Republicans to put aside partisan differences and find common ground, this is it. As the debt ceiling crisis threatens to plunge us into a recession, and a nation holds its collective breath, both sides of the political divide seem no closer to compromise. They appear as stand-offish, as unmoving, as ever. Why is this? What makes politicians partisan? And, more importantly, how can we move past close-minded positions to find mutual understanding, incorp... 2011-07-27 16:16:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daniel-lyons-robots-vs-human-jobs.html If you're feeling like the job market can't get worse than it already is, with a humbled economy, rising unemployment rates, and constant outsourcing threats, just wait until the robots get here. In what could just as easily be an Onion parody article, hilarious Newsweek tech columnist Daniel Lyons presents a cleverly humorous, but ultimately serious, warning on how a robot might replace you. Lyons points out that automation hurt jobs in the Great Recession, and the story is poised to be retold ... 2011-07-27 12:38:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-furdyk-corriero-mashable-number-one-taking-it-global.html Mashable, the web's premiere social media resource, recently named Jennifer Corriero and Michael Furdyk's TakingITGlobal as the world's #1 social good website aimed at youth. TakingITGlobal, started when Corriero and Furdyk were teens, is one of the worldamp;rsquo;s first social networking sites, founded five years before Facebook. The two co-founders, who have been featured in Fast Company and various other media, originally envisioned the site as linking youth from around the world to solve so... 2011-07-26 15:51:04
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-google-plus-two-illusions.html In her latest New York Times Op-Ed column, Virginia Heffernan says sheamp;rsquo;s on Google+, and only has 20 friends. But, that's the way she likes it. Google, on the other hand, might not be too crazy about having that friend number stay low. To avoid having their new social network follow Friendster and MySpace into the abyss, Heffernan says the search giant needs to amp;ldquo;cultivate two illusions.amp;rdquo; amp;ldquo;The first is that they are absolutely packed, amp;rdquo; she says. Put... 2011-07-26 13:43:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-new-book-the-better-angels-of-our-nature.html Harvard Psychology professor, Blank Slate author, and Lavin speaker Steven Pinker returns this October with a provocative and counterintuitive new book, The Better Angels of Our Nature, that looks at why we are less violent today than perhaps weamp;rsquo;ve ever been. From the publisher: Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think we live in the most violent age ever seen. Yet as New York Times bestselling author Steven Pinker shows in t... 2011-07-25 14:49:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tina-rosenberg-join-the-club.html Most people think peer pressure is a bad thing. Pulitzer Prize winner Tina Rosenberg offers another perspective. She argues that peer pressure, while certainly capable of being destructive, can also enact positive change throughout the world, in the fields of health, education, and politics. She calls this phenomenon amp;ldquo;The Social Cure,amp;rdquo; and itamp;rsquo;s the subject of her new book, Join the Club: How Peer Pressure Can Transform the World. In her optimistic book, which has recei... 2011-07-22 14:10:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-colbert-report.html Last night, David Eaglemanamp;mdash;one of the most acclaimed neuroscientists today, and certainly the coolestamp;mdash;visited The Colbert Report to talk about his new bestseller, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain. During the course of the interview, Colbert asked, with typical mock befuddlement: amp;ldquo;What happens in dreamsamp;mdash;is that real?amp;rdquo; amp;ldquo;Wait a minute, is this Inception? Are you DiCaprio?amp;rdquo; amp;ldquo;Are you saying my brain is British?amp;rdquo; ... 2011-07-22 14:09:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tom-wujec-ted-video-visual-notes.html Tom Wujec doesn't just write, consult, and speak on the power of visualizationamp;mdash;he actually practices what he preaches. In this video from the TED Blog, Wujec talks about how he uses visual note-takingamp;mdash;using diagrams, sketches and drawings instead of straight textamp;mdash;to help absorb and make sense of the wealth of information presented at the annual TED Conference.Wujec explains how visualizing the big ideas helps to synthesize information and jog memory. The process of vis... 2011-07-21 14:11:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-laurie-garrett-new-book-i-heard-the-silent-screams.html In anticipation of the tenth anniversary of September 11th, global health speaker Laurie Garrett has released I Heard the Sirens Scream: How Americans Responded to the 9/11 and Anthrax Attacks. This emotional new work, available exclusively as an eBook, mixes highly-charged memoir, medical reporting, and investigative journalism to astounding narrative effect. It attempts to answer, as Garrett calls it, amp;ldquo;a very personal question: How had these terrible events changed me, my loved ones, ... 2011-07-20 14:26:45
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-pedro-noguera-longer-school-days-plan.html An important voice for healthy public education, Pedro Noguera has a plan for making public schools betteramp;mdash;especially ones in poor neighborhoods: make the school year longer. It's a plan no kid wants to hear, but, according to Noguera's recent New York Times Op-Ed, amp;ldquo;differences in learning time and in access to enrichment activities that support child development contribute to the disparities in academic outcomes.amp;rdquo; To level the playing field with upper and middle-class... 2011-07-20 11:22:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-james-fallows-clean-coal-future.html In his Atlantic cover story on amp;ldquo;Clean Coal,amp;rdquo; James Fallows riled up both the energy industry and the environmental sectoramp;mdash;getting them to examine all sides of the worldamp;rsquo;s pressing energy concerns. amp;ldquo;Clean Coal,amp;rdquo; he argued, is not an oxymoron but a viable solutionamp;mdash;for nowamp;mdash;to a problem that has no easy answer. Fallows' said that, while coal may not be the most ideal energy source, it does satisfy the demands of the futureamp;md... 2011-07-19 14:24:27
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeff-chang-pitchfork-favorite-book.html Indie kingmakers Pitchfork have compiled a list of their favorite music books and Canamp;rsquo;t Stop Wonamp;rsquo;t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation, by Lavin speaker Jeff Chang, is on it. A strong choice for University Common Read programs, Changamp;rsquo;s sweeping masterwork of vivid cultural reporting hedges closer to urban history than music writing per se; itamp;rsquo;s more Mike Davis than Lester Bangs. As Pitchfork writes, Cantamp;rsquo; Stop Wonamp;rsquo;t Stop is amp;ldquo;le... 2011-07-18 15:47:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-the-viral-storm-book.html Biologist and virus hunter Nathan Wolfe, who is a member of this year's TIME 100, will release his first book, The Viral Storm: the Dawn of a New Pandemic Age, this fall. Called quot;a charismatic and rising star of the medical worldquot; by fellow Lavin speaker Jared Diamond, Wolfe crisscrosses the globe to study the early warning signs of pandemicsamp;mdash;tracking diseases in rural jungles, and charting their movement from animal to human populations. (Pandemics of recent memoryamp;mdash;swi... 2011-07-15 09:05:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-gayle-tzemach-lemmon-afghanistan-womens-rights.html In a recent article, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, author of the New York Times bestseller The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, shows us how far Afghanistan still has to go to become a nation where women's rights matter. Writing in The Daily Beast, Lemmon revealed that the only man ever arrested in connection with the mutilation of Bibi Aisha has been released. Aisha, you'll recall, was the woman punished for escaping an abusive marriage by having her nose cut off by her husband, his brother and their father.... 2011-07-14 13:37:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daryl-morey-audience-approved.html One of the youngest and brightest general managers in the NBA, Daryl Morey is a visionary helmsmen who has neither played nor coached in the league. The number-devouring wunderkind has a computer science degree and an MBA from MIT's Sloan school, and uses those assets to his advantage in basketball. He relies on statistical prowess, the ability to challenge (and then redefine) conventional wisdom, and remarkable real world successes to yield enormous results on and off the court. At a recent ... 2011-07-12 14:11:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-water-washington-post.html You'd think humans couldn't screw up water, being a renewable resource and all, but as we learn from a recent Washington Post piece, amp;ldquo;we squander it and defile it. Until, as we are increasingly finding, it is not there when we want it.amp;rdquo; The article looks at three must-read books acting as viaducts for important water news, and one is The Big Thirst, by Lavin's own Charles Fishman.Fishman is tapped for some interesting points, including the fact that water is very much limited t... 2011-07-11 15:32:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-samantha-nutt-order-of-canada.html The Lavin Agency is pleased to announce that Dr. Samantha Nutt, the humanitarian and Founder amp;amp; Executive Director of War Child Canada, has received the Order of Canada for her contributions to improving the lives of young people in global conflict zones. The Order, given by Governor General David Johnson, is widely considered one of Canadaamp;rsquo;s highest civilian honors.Nutt's inspiring talks focus on leadership, social responsibility, and enacting meaningful change on health and huma... 2011-07-11 14:45:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-big-think-interview.html Matt Taibbi, the author of Griftopia, the visceral and eye-opening story of America's economic crisis power grab, has a new video on Big Think. The interview is a great primer for anyone curious about the man behind some of Rolling Stone's strongest and most entertaining reporting since Hunter S. Thompson. Taibbi is candid about the amp;ldquo;insaneamp;rdquo; Federal Reserve quantitative easing program that he likensamp;mdash;with his typical flare for analogyamp;mdash;to a genie pulling trillio... 2011-07-08 11:43:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-internet-changing-brains.html In this exclusive Lavin Agency video, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer discusses the impact of the internet on the human brain. Is Google making us stupid? Is Twitter the apocalypse? Is Facebook ruining friendship? This is simply the wrong line of questioning to pursue, says Lehrer, a contributing editor at Wired. We shouldn't fear the advent of new technology. He points out that everything we do changes our brains. Moreover, recent studies show that heavy internet usage and video game play act... 2011-07-07 15:28:06
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-maeda-aspen-ideas-fest-creative-cultures.html Innovation speaker John Maeda recently spoke about building cultures of creativity at the 2011 Aspen Ideas Festival, as part of a panel moderated by Paolo Antonelli, MOMA's senior curator in the department of Architecture and Design. The renowned artist, designer, educator, and current president of the Rhode Island School of Design, suggested that there are inherent conflicts in the old structures of academia, art, and commerce. quot;Somehow artists are not seen as people who execute,amp;rdquo; ... 2011-07-07 13:11:23
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jared-diamond-new-topic-human-rights.html Celebrity scientist and Pulitzer Prize winning author Jared Diamond knows how to tackle big questions. His bestsellers, Collapse, and Guns, Germs, and Steel, have changed the ways we look at how societies thrive or fail and how we can maximize happiness while dodging ecological collapse. Now, in a brand new talk, Diamond enlightens audiences on the nature of basic human rights and how they will look in the future. From the new speech topic: Today, in Western democracies, we take for granted th... 2011-07-05 14:25:17
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-maulik-pancholy-new-show-whitney.html Lavin diversity speaker Maulik Pancholy will appear this fall on NBCamp;rsquo;s highly-anticipated comedy, Whitney, starring alongside Whitney Cummings in the role of Nealamp;mdash;a modern day renaissance man who is sensitive, cool, and in a seemingly perfect relationship with his girlfriend Lily (Zoe Lister-Jones). This effectively means that Pancholy will appear on two of NBCamp;rsquo;s biggest Thursday night comedies; Pancholy also stars on the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning show 30 Rock, whe... 2011-07-05 09:06:03
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-livingstone-smith-humans-lie.html A fascinating philosopher, David Livingstone Smith is obsessed with making complicated ideasamp;mdash;such as what drives humanityamp;rsquo;s darker impulsesamp;mdash;accessible to broad audiences, while losing none of the rigorous depth of academia. In this video from the Ciudad de las Ideas Conference, in Mexico, Smith draws from his popular book Why We Lie to tell us why humans are the most deceptive creatures on the planet. Lying, says Smith, is a natural and necessary part of being a human.... 2011-07-04 15:48:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-joel-cohen-writer-mtv-crash-canyon.html Earlier this week, MTV International announced its acquisition of the prime-time animated series Crash Canyon, which was developed and co-produced by Lavin speaker Joel Cohen. Cohen, who is also a writer and co-executive producer for The Simpsonsamp;mdash;quot;the greatest TV show of the 20th Century,quot; according to Timeamp;mdash;writes alongside Tim Long (The Simpsons) and Chuck Tatham (Arrested Development) on Crash Canyon. The show focuses on the cartoon Wendell family whose vacation turns... 2011-07-04 13:17:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-andrew-bacevich-war-interest-waning.html In a recent Huffington Post piece, influential historian and military expert Andrew Bacevich writes that America goes through a feverish sort of delirium that manifests itself amp;ldquo;in delusions of grandeur and demented behavioramp;rdquo; every time wars are fought. The good news, says Bacevich, is that fevers pass. And, in the case of the recent post-9/11 Middle East missions, the nation is showing signs of being on the mend.Bacevich points to some telling factors that the amp;ldquo;the pos... 2011-06-30 14:11:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rafe-esquith-proud-teacher.html amp;ldquo;The only thing of which Iamp;rsquo;m proud is that, after 28 years, Iamp;rsquo;m still a classroom teacher at Hobart Elementary in Los Angeles,amp;rdquo; says Rafe Esquith. The comment is his slyly self-effacingamp;mdash;but heartfeltamp;mdash;way of acknowledging, then shrugging off, the accolades heamp;rsquo;s received. Rafe has been named the National Teacher of the Year. He won a citation from the White House and heamp;rsquo;s been called a amp;ldquo;genius and a saintamp;rdquo; by... 2011-06-29 14:13:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-sports-statistics-grantland.html Watch out sports stat nerds, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer has set his sights on you in his debut article for Grantland. True to form, Lehrer takes a fascinating look at the way our minds make choicesamp;mdash;in this case, the increasingly prevalent practice of leaning on mathamp;mdash;and turns the tables. He argues that teams, and the people who run them, are ignoring the unmeasurable factors that make for success and are instead falling back on numbers-based performance measurements know... 2011-06-28 10:17:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-rushdie-guardian-interview-memoir.html Over the weekend, The Guardian published an interesting interview with Salman Rushdie, in which the legendary author chats about fatherhood, faith, fatwa, and the writing of his 600-page biographyamp;mdash;which industry insiders have pegged as one of the most anticipated releases of the decade. The touching window into Rushdie's world offers a casual and earnest glimpse at the person behind the world-famous writeramp;mdash;a fitting glimpse, given Rushdieamp;rsquo;s current memoir-writing mind... 2011-06-27 15:43:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-susan-cain-shy-introvert-normal.html Inamp;nbsp;the #1amp;nbsp;most-emailed New York Times article today, Susan Cain, our newest speaker,amp;nbsp;writes that shyness and introversion are getting a bad reputationamp;mdash;and that this has serious consequences for education, and for the social and corporate worlds. The notion that people who are naturally shy are suffering from some kind of disorderamp;mdash;a popular idea toward the end of the 20th centuryamp;mdash;leads us to seek remedies when we don't necessarily need them. In f... 2011-06-27 13:37:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-hillier-ten-lessons-financial-post.html quot;Charismatic, compelling. . . quick with the jokes and bearing a salty tongue that seemed especially to amuse the middle managers in attendance.amp;rdquo; This is how the Financial Post described retired general Rick Hillier at the recent Art of Leadership conference in Toronto. The article highlighted that he was the only Canadian leader taking part, but, more importantly, praised how he engaged the audience with clever tips largely take from his recent book Leadership: 50 Points of Wisdom ... 2011-06-24 14:25:28
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-doug-stephens-retail-prophet-how-we-shop.html Today, Doug Stephens, who runs Retail Prophet, stopped by The Lavin Agency's Toronto offices to talk about the history and future of retail through the lens of sociology, trends, demographics, and personal experience. The period from 1940 to 2007 in North America, Doug said, was an unprecedented era of megagrowth and mindless consumption, the likes of which retailers and consumers may never see again. Stephens then touched on online shopping--why it may not have lived up to its potential, but wh... 2011-06-24 13:27:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chris-guillebeau-art-of-non-conformity-world-domination-summit.html Chris Guillebeau, the man behind the popular Art of Non-Conformity blog, recently hosted the World Domination Summit, and it was about as far from your traditional conference as you can get. Instead of one set location, like, say, a convention center, Guillebeauamp;rsquo;s sprawling, energizing Summit took place across a variety of locales across Portland -- including an art museum, a park, and an indie bookstore. Each location was chosen for its ability to spark discussion and creativity. The S... 2011-06-23 16:10:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-sheila-watt-cloutier-video-human-face-of-climate-change.html Sheila Watt-Cloutier has dedicated her life to spreading awareness of the impact climate change has on the Inuit peopleamp;mdash;framing the issue, in a new light, as a human rights concern. In this exclusive Lavin Agency video, the Nobel Peace Prize nominee speaks with authority and compassion about the quot;human face of climate change.amp;rdquo; As a culture that relies on the Arctic climate, the Inuit are hit hardest, and most immediately, by the first symptoms of climate change. Only by fir... 2011-06-23 14:59:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-keri-writing-book-on-montreal-expos-history.html Jonah Keriamp;mdash;whose latest New York Times bestseller, The Extra 2%, examines the incredible turnaround of the Tampa Bay Raysamp;mdash;is now working on the definitive history of the Montreal Expos. Youppi! More than a history of the franchise, Jonahamp;rsquo;s book, to be published by Random House in 2014, is an ambitious undertaking that will explore national identity, civic history, English-French relations, and, of course, the tricky dance between sports, community and commerce. amp;ldq... 2011-06-22 14:08:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alexandra-samuel-vancouver-riots-social-media-surveillance.html Alexandra Samuel is disappointed with her community. No, the Vancouver-based social media speaker isn't talking about her hometown, which erupted in rioting after the Canucks lost game seven of the Stanley Cup finals; she's concerned about what's becoming of her online community. In The Harvard Business Review, Samuel shared her concerns about the potentially ugly direction social media is taking, cautioning that there is now a marked shift to using social media as surveillance. Her article clea... 2011-06-21 11:38:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arkadi-kuhlmann-ing-direct-usa-sale.html Last week, ING Direct USAamp;mdash;the U.S. wing of the online bank that Arkadi Kuhlmann built from scratchamp;mdash;was sold for a staggering nine billion dollars to Capital One. With this historic sale, itamp;rsquo;s worth reflecting on how Kuhlmann, an unconventional business leader, created a bank and brought it from zero to $9 billion in a matter of years. Under Kuhlmann, ING Directamp;rsquo;s amp;ldquo;save your moneyamp;rdquo; mantra became a commonsense call to action that points America... 2011-06-20 10:15:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-matt-taibbi-griftopia-sorkin-goldman.html Our newest speaker, Matt Taibbi, didn't become one of America's most illuminating experts on the recent economic crisis by donning kid gloves to handle Wall Street villains and their shills. Scathing, quotable, and evocative of Hunter S. Thompson, Taibbi's articles for Rolling Stone stir and stimulate. In perhaps his most famous piece, he compared Goldman Sachs to amp;ldquo;a giant vampire squid, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money.amp;rdquo; His styleamp;m... 2011-06-16 09:04:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-mercer-nation-worth-ranting-about.html Rick Mercer's a funny man, but underneath the hilarity is an ever-present keen ability to hold a mirror to the nation. In the past few weeks, with so much change coming to Canada's political landscape, Mercer has honed a new talkamp;mdash;amp;ldquo;A Nation Worth Ranting Aboutquot;amp;mdash;to address the years ahead. Mercer shows us why Canada is a country worth laughing about, cheering about, and occasionally getting angry about. He pokes fun at our institutions, reveals hypocrisy, and draws o... 2011-06-15 15:59:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-al-sharpton-diversity-civil-rights.html President Barack Obama called Al Sharptonamp;mdash;our newest keynote speakeramp;mdash;quot;the voice of the voiceless and a champion for the downtrodden.amp;rdquo; President George W. Bush, before him, said: quot;Al cares just as much as I care about making sure every child learns to read, write, add and subtract.quot; For over three decades, Al Sharpton has been at the forefront of nonpartisan change in America. As one of the nation's most prominent civil rights leaders, the charismatic... 2011-06-15 10:54:04
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-justin-fox-finance-bubble-advice.html Fleet footed finance journalist Justin Fox knows whatever bubbles up, must come tumbling down. Writing in the Harvard Business Review this week, where he serves as editorial director, Fox floats some solid ideas on identifying and addressing financial bubbles. He notes that a statistical technique has been created by a trio of academics can be applied to a given company's trading information and, if the data lines up with that of the dark dot-com days, you have a bubble. LinkedIn, based on its f... 2011-06-14 15:17:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-george-mitchell-senator-envoy-businessman.html Most recently serving as President Barack Obama's Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, George Mitchell is ready to engage audiences with customized talks shedding light on issues affecting foreign policy, major corporations, and the political climate of the U.S. leading into the pivotal 2012 elections. Utilizing the wealth of knowledge he's amassed in envoy roles, his years as a senator and Senate Majority Leader, and his experience as both a businessman and conflict negotiator, Mitchell o... 2011-06-13 13:25:32
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rob-walker-design-observer.html New York Times contributing writer Rob Walkeramp;nbsp;is a keen observer of the intersection where consumerism, technology, and design meet. It only makes sense, then, that he's the newest voice at Design Observer, the worldamp;rsquo;s leading design blog. In his inaugural post, the lucid commentator on material culture coins the term amp;ldquo;dedigitizationamp;rdquo;amp;mdash;meaning amp;ldquo;things from the digital world crossing over into physical manifestations.amp;rdquo; Items like orange... 2011-06-10 13:27:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chuck-klosterman-grantland-prerecorded-sports.html Celebrated pop culture author Chuck Klosterman's life is broken into two parts: the first deals with unraveling universal mysteries around time and reality, and the other deals with scheduling when to watch sports. The two halves intersect in his sports columns. Writing for Bill Simmons' Grantland.comamp;mdash;the hotly-hyped sports site featuring Dave Eggers and Malcolm Gladwell as consulting editors, and Jonah Lehrer, among others, as a contributing writeramp;mdash;Klosterman grapples with why... 2011-06-09 09:51:03
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-roger-martin-fixing-the-game-book.html Appearing at Thompson Reuters this week, Roger Martin, visionary Dean of the Rotman School of Management, headed a provocative panel on his new book, Fixing the Game. In his talk, Martin borrowed plays from the National Football League, specifically one in which the league changes rules every time a clever coach figures out an unstoppable tactic. He applied this thinking to the financial world. If a amp;ldquo;coach,amp;rdquo; in this case a CEO, finds a way to beat the game, the sector must adap... 2011-06-09 09:50:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-money-ball-movie-first-review-billy-beane.html The film version of Moneyball amp;mdash; based on Michael Lewisamp;rsquo;s book about revolutionary Oakland Aamp;rsquo;s GM Billy Beane amp;mdash; is not due in theatres untilamp;nbsp;this September, but some early reviews are already in. A write-up was recently posted on Hollywood Elsewhere: amp;ldquo;I loved it, and I didnamp;rsquo;t expect to. Itamp;rsquo;s a baseball-from-the-business-angle movie, for goodness sake, and to be honest on my way over I was asking myself, amp;lsquo;why am i even... 2011-06-08 16:35:19
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-randall-kennedy-obama-persistence-of-the-color-line-book.html Two years into the first black presidency of the United States, Harvard professor Randall Kennedy is set to release a major academic analysis on how race has affected political culture in America during Obamaamp;rsquo;s run thus far. Kennedy, a public intellectual unafraid of hot-button issues, is releasing The Persistence of the Color Line this Augustamp;mdash;just as the 2012 Presidential season begins. In the much anticipated book, Kennedy takes a thoughtful look at racial opposition to Barac... 2011-06-07 15:53:03
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-toms-eyewear.html One of Americaamp;rsquo;s most exciting entrepreneurs, Blake Mycoskie revolutionized the way corporations gives back when he founded TOMS in 2006, with his famous promise to give one pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair sold. With over 1,000,000 pairs of shoes given away, Mycoskieamp;rsquo;s One For One model has definitively changed how consumers think about their purchases and the positive social impact they can make. Now, TOMS is branching out their visionamp;mdash;literally.Today,... 2011-06-07 14:45:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-seymour-hersh-iran-nuclear.html In a recent New Yorker article, legendary Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh investigates whether rumors of nuclear weapons in Iran have been greatly exaggerated. Itamp;rsquo;s another in a series of remarkable reports that Hersh has produced on some of the major foreign policy issues of the post 9/11 eraamp;mdash;from the Bush administrationamp;rsquo;s justifications for war in Iraq to the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Writing in the New Yorker's June 6, 2011 edition: amp;ldquo;Is Ir... 2011-06-06 15:05:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-brain-consciousness-incognito-book.html We might like to think our brains are fundamentally created equal, but David Eagleman, all-star neuroscientist and Lavin speaker, disagrees. amp;ldquo;Many of us like to believe that all adults possess the same capacity to make sound choices,amp;rdquo; he argues in his amazingly-received new book, Incognito. amp;ldquo;It's a nice idea, but it's wrong.amp;rdquo; This conceptamp;mdash;one of many he tacklesamp;mdash;is highlighted by a recent review in The New York Observer. This notion that our b... 2011-06-03 14:40:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-the-big-thirst-washington-post-review.html Flushing your toilet is about to get a lot harder to do if you care about water, says Charles Fishman. It turns out the average American is flushing 70 liters of fresh cold drinkable water via the toilet each day. It's a staggering number, and just one of many eye-openers revealed by a glowingly positive Washington Post review of Charles Fishman's new book, The Big Thirst. The writer quickly identifies that Fishman is masterful at conveying stats in a way that amp;ldquo;[makes] the inconceivable... 2011-06-02 13:18:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-franklin-33-men-chilean-miner-rescue.html There is only one person who had the access, the tenacity and the journalistic eye to write 33 Menamp;mdash;the heroic tale of the trapped Chilean miners that continues to resonant long after their triumphant rescue. Jonathan Franklin, The Guardian's Chilean correspondent, reporting at the lip of the mine, was at critical planning meetings, interviewed key players, and read deeper than anyone into the incredible survival saga. In a story that captivated over a billion people, Franklin was the g... 2011-06-01 11:58:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-ferguson-social-issues-filmmaker.html From the Iraq War to the Wall Street collapse to WikiLeaks, Charles Ferguson amp;mdash; our newest speaker amp;mdash; doesn't shy away from topics that shake foundations. It's all fair game to this tech entrepreneur-turned-filmmaker who won the 2011 Best Documentary Oscar for Inside Jobamp;mdash;the powerfully clarifying film that went further than any other in portraying greedy bankers as the root cause of 2008's financial meltdown. Instead of basking in Oscar glory, though, Ferguson used his a... 2011-06-01 11:58:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-email-goes-analog.html Remember the good old days of e-mail? Internet scribe and New York Times' Op-Ed contributor Virginia Heffernan does. Back in the early 1990s you could count users in millions (not billions, like today), but more importantly, you could let loose in a way that wasn't possible through face-to-face communication.amp;ldquo; Oh, how times have changed,amp;rdquo; writes Heffernan, whose insights on Web culture have drawn comparisons to Marshall McLuhan. amp;ldquo;The idea that e-mail is chiefly a condu... 2011-05-31 11:57:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-co-hosts-new-tv-show-on-apps.html Amber Mac, the consultant, author, and TV host who has chronicled and even enabled the growth of social media, is now co-hosting a new show dedicated to the next step in online and mobile engagement. App Central, airing on BNN and CTV (and, of course, on the web) covers apps for iPads, Blackberries, Android devices and other tablets and smartphones. Coming at a time of critical mass amp;mdash; the iTunes store, for instance, recently passed 10 billion downloads amp;mdash; App Central features re... 2011-05-30 16:02:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-maeda-redesigning-leadership.html One of the worldamp;rsquo;s most respected innovation educators, John Maeda has learned many valuable lessons on leadership from his first few eventful years as president of The Rhode Island School of Design, one of the countryamp;rsquo;s most prestigious colleges of art and design. Those lessonsamp;mdash;part of his process of designing amp;ldquo;how to talk about/with/for the RISD communityamp;rdquo;amp;mdash;form the basis of his eagerly-anticipated new book, Redesigning Leadership.In a recen... 2011-05-30 13:53:37
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alexandra-samuel-social-media-web-expert.html If you feel like you're drifting aimlessly in a sea of social mediaamp;mdash;endless Tweets, Facebook status updates, and blog posts to read for workamp;mdash;we have good news: Lavin's latest speaker, Alexandra Samuel, has your social life raft. As the founder of the acclaimed Social Signal, one of the world's first social media firms, Samuel has made articulating the web's potential as a tool for community-building, civic participation, and, of course, bottom line competitiveness her life's wo... 2011-05-27 16:34:40
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-marketing-advertising-brain.html Yesterday, Jonah Lehrer, one of our great popular interpreters of neuroscience, wrote a Wired blog post on the way advertising is actually penetrating our minds. So, if you're questioning whether those soft-focus recollections of summers clutching a cool Coke actually happened, you might be onto something. It turns out that not only do we remember slick adsamp;mdash;they literally engrain themselves into our memories as part of our perception of experienced events.Lehrer highlights an event wher... 2011-05-26 15:01:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kenji-yoshino-civil-rights-inc-keynote.html Kenji Yoshino, a laywer and popular NYU professor is one of the most eloquent and accessible voices on American civil rights today. His landmark book, Covering, a hybrid memoir and legal manifesto, addressed the victories and limitations of the movement while pointing a way forward. Today, it remains a popular college common read. Yoshinoamp;rsquo;s current projectamp;mdash;which expands on some of the issues explored in Coveringamp;mdash;looks at the leadership role corporations are taking in t... 2011-05-26 11:30:45
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tom-wujec-ted-india-ink-keynote-3d-printers.html The way we manufacture everything from shoes to homes is about to experience a massive shakeup, says Tom Wujec, an innovation expert and Autodesk Fellow. amp;ldquo;We have this insanely cool toolset emerging,amp;rdquo; Wujec told attendees at the Ink Conference in India. Thanks to 3D amp;ldquo;printers,amp;rdquo; we will soon be able to literally print out objects. Need a new pair of shoes? No problem: twenty minutes and a 3D printer and you can have your rubber sole. amp;ldquo;We can manufact... 2011-05-24 19:55:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-popular-science.html In a New Statesman interview, neuroscientist David Eagleman talks with incredible candor about a range of subjects relating to popular scienceamp;mdash;a phrase that he staunchly defends. amp;ldquo;I am a believer in the mission of popular science,amp;rdquo; said Eagleman, whose new book Incognito is a majoramp;mdash;and accessibleamp;mdash;work on the human brain, out this month of Alfred A. Knopf. amp;ldquo;The uninformed criticism of popular science is that itamp;rsquo;s a watering down of th... 2011-05-19 12:04:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-maulik-pancholy-hollywood-diversity.html In this exclusive Lavin video, Maulik Pancholy discusses how his role as Jonathan on 30 Rock signals a positive change in Hollywoodamp;rsquo;s depiction of diversity. Though his character is clearly Indian, his Indianess is amp;ldquo;not whatamp;rsquo;s being explored.amp;rdquo; Pancholy then discusses his role as Baljeetamp;mdash;on Phineas and Ferbamp;mdash;to further illustrate the degree of sophistication that creators and actors are bringing to the entertainment industry. Smarter shows (suc... 2011-05-17 16:08:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-the-big-thirst-nature-review.html In a glowing review of Charles Fishman's new book on water, Nature magazine writes: quot;The Big Thirstamp;nbsp; is a delight to readamp;mdash;full of salient and fascinating examples, well-researched and laced with wry humour. It would be wonderful if Fishman's rant against bottled water converted every reader. It would be even better if it promoted a serious reflection on how little we value that on which our life depends.quot; Much more than a rant against bottled water, though, Fishman's Big... 2011-05-16 13:49:01
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kenneth-miller-stephen-jay-gould-prize-award.html We are pleased to announce that Kenneth Milleramp;mdash;one of the foremost figures in evolutionary science todayamp;mdash;is the recipient of the 2011 Stephen Jay Gould Prize. The Prize recognizes quot;individuals whose sustained and exemplary efforts have advanced public understanding of evolutionary science and its importance in biology, education, and everyday life.quot; Known as quot;America's public guardian of evolution,quot; Miller is a Brown University professor, a repeat Colbert Report... 2011-05-16 10:34:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-on-osama-bin-laden-death.html Hereamp;rsquo;s a guest blog post by Reza Aslan, on the aftermath of Osama Bin Ladenamp;rsquo;s death. Among the things to consider, as news continues to circulate, is this: Just how relevant is Bin Laden's death in quot;endingquot; the quot;War on Terrorquot; and to the region as a whole? Aslan is an acclaimed Middle East expert, a Colbert Report regular, and a bestselling author of many books, including No god but Godamp;mdash;which gets a major re-issue (with substantial revisions) this Fall,... 2011-05-12 09:46:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arab-spring-jack-goldstone-democracy.html Jack Goldstone is an expert on political revolutions amp;mdash; their intricate histories, their causes, and their regional and worldwide impact. In a recent New York Times article, Goldstone writes about the various 2011 Middle East uprisings, specifically the similarities between them. While each of the revolutions is unique, they all have one thing in common: their main goal is to end the tyranny of quot;sultanisticquot; dictatorships. What makes a dictatorship quot;sultanisticquot;? Goldston... 2011-05-11 09:15:32
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rob-walker-storytelling-value.html What makes an object valuable to us isn't really the thing itself, says Rob Walker. It's the thing's story. In his provocative talks, Walkeramp;mdash;a contributing writer for The New York Times Magazineamp;mdash;charts the intersection where storytelling meets value. The stories that most brands tell (amp;ldquo;We are the best, so you should buy our product!amp;rdquo;) are not the stories that consumers want to hear. The stories that truly matter to us are the ones we tell about ourselvesamp;md... 2011-05-09 15:55:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bruce-philp-on-social-media-consumers.html Right now, corporations are obsessed with social media, says Bruce Philp. But what these companies are measuringamp;mdash;and what theyamp;rsquo;ll soon find outamp;mdash;is how much social media affects the bottom line, how much it matters. Philp, who has consulted with some of the worldamp;rsquo;s biggest brands, including ING Direct, tells us that the attentive level of care companies provide via social media may not last. It all depends on whether they see any value between their social medi... 2011-05-06 15:44:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-trendhunter-ceo-jeremy-gutsche-wins-two-awards.html When they need to know about the next big thing, companies like Google, Microsoft, eBay and Pepsi read trend reports from Jeremy Gutscheamp;mdash;whose website, Trendhunter.com, has just passed half a billion views. In the last three years, Gutsche has blazed an incredible entrepreneurial trail, growing Trend Hunter from a part-time passion into a Web superbrand (amp;ldquo;the largest most updated collection of new ideasamp;rdquo;) that pulls in seven-figures annually. For his tireless efforts, ... 2011-05-06 13:48:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-nytimes-water.html In a Qamp;amp;A with The New York Times today, Charles Fishman talked about his new bookamp;mdash;The Big Thirstamp;mdash;and the turbulent future of our most valuable commodity, water. A Fast Company writer who spent years researching the book, Fishman discussed water as it relates to everything from economics to corporate responsibility to Las Vegas, while mentioning the amp;ldquo;good news all over the country that doesnamp;rsquo;t get enough attention,amp;rdquo; such as the efficient use of ... 2011-05-04 12:18:19
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-on-today-show.html On The Today Show this morning, bestselling author Neil Pasricha told a viewership of millions why life can beamp;mdash;and isamp;mdash;awesome, and why we shouldnamp;rsquo;t take anything for granted. Pasricha is the bestselling author of The Book of (Even More) Awesome, a hilarious and moving look at the small things, like amp;ldquo;sneaking cheaper candy into the movie theater,amp;rdquo; that are worth savoring. amp;nbsp;amp;ldquo;Those big days in life, the wedding, the healthy baby screechi... 2011-05-04 09:18:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-dan-austin-88-bikes-in-america.html Social entrepreneur Dan Austin is no stranger to making a lot from a little. As founder of the acclaimed 88 Bikes, Austin gives bicycles to developing world childrenamp;mdash;providing them with not only a practical mode of transportation but also a feeling of joy and a sense of freedom. As the groupamp;rsquo;s name suggests, each bike costs only $88 to produce, andamp;mdash;with an eye for local sustainabilityamp;mdash;each one is made from local resources and assembled using local labor. With ... 2011-05-03 13:46:49
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-ibbitson-canadian-election-harper.html In The Globe and Mail today, political correspondent John Ibbitson gives a candid overview of the most memorable federal election in recent yearsamp;mdash;and, with three in the last five years, there have been many to choose from. Despite rumblings about the closed nature of Stephen Harperamp;rsquo;s campaign, Harper and his Conservatives cake-walked to their first majority, firmly establishing themselves as Canadaamp;rsquo;s amp;ldquo;new natural governing party.amp;rdquo; Here, in Ibbitsonamp... 2011-05-03 11:30:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-stephen-prothero-osama-bin-laden-burial.html Responding to news of Osama bin Ladenamp;rsquo;s death, which spread late Sunday night, world religions expert Stephen Prothero posted a short article on why the U.S.amp;rsquo;s decision to bury bin Ladenamp;rsquo;s body at sea is a tactful and elegant solution. At CNNamp;rsquo;s Belief Blog, where heamp;rsquo;s a regular contributor, Prothero writes, quot;One of the perverse promises of Islamic terrorism is that it can transform ordinary people into martyrs for Allah. So I did not want to see b... 2011-05-02 14:16:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-james-fallows-on-death-of-osama-bin-laden.html The great significance of Osama bin Ladenamp;rsquo;s death, according to James Fallows, is that amp;ldquo;it holds the potential of marking an end to the otherwise un-endable amp;lsquo;Global War on Terror.amp;rsquo;amp;rdquo; Blogging at the Atlantic.com just after President Obama announced bin Ladenamp;rsquo;s death, Fallows, the author of Blind Into Baghdad, muses that the news will be extra heartening if it signals amp;ldquo;the beginning of the end of a period in which America felt that it ... 2011-05-02 11:08:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-adria-vasil-lousy-labels-marketplace.html Bestselling author Adria Vasil recently appeared on Marketplace to discuss the aggravating lack of regulation over green marketing. Vasil told the consumer watchdog show that labels like amp;ldquo;non-toxic,amp;rdquo; amp;ldquo;bio-friendly,amp;rdquo; andamp;mdash;most dubiouslyamp;mdash;amp;ldquo;organicamp;rdquo; are not held to any standards in Canada. They are essentially meaningless. amp;ldquo;A few marketers around the table can decide that a product is natural and use the labels,amp;rdquo... 2011-04-28 14:08:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-book-of-even-more-awesome-trailer.html The first Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha wasamp;nbsp;#1 on international bestseller lists in April, 2010, andamp;mdash;one year lateramp;mdash;is still #1 on those lists. Today, Pasricha, a Harvard MBA and former comedy writer, releases his highly-anticipated second book. Based once again on his popular blog, The Book of (Even More) Awesome is an affirming but never sappy collection of wickedly funny observations about the small moments that make life worth living. The entries will leave reade... 2011-04-26 13:51:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-wikipedia-director-sue-gardner-fast-company-article.html In a recent Fast Company profile, Wikipedia Director Sue Gardneramp;mdash;who is one of only two women to run a top-10 websiteamp;mdash;talked about her ambition to have Wikipedia contain the amp;ldquo;sum of everything that we knowamp;rdquo; and to increase the number of its users to one billion in the next five years. As she points out, making this enormous amount of information available is not for the faint of heartamp;mdash;nor is it for those looking to turn a quick profit: We want more I... 2011-04-26 13:50:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-retail-speaker-doug-stephens-on-victorias-secret.html For years now, retail speaker Doug Stephens has explored the complex relationship between companies and their customers, and is often asked by the media to weigh in on breaking retail news. This week, the news that Victoria's Secret destroys some of its returned clothingamp;mdash;even when that clothing is unusedamp;mdash;is going viral, and Stephens is there with perspective and advice. The story, as reported on Tampa Bay Online, goes like this: a Victoriaamp;rsquo;s Secret customer returned a ... 2011-04-25 14:23:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-wall-street-journal-trendhunter-office-article.html What could be even cooler than Trendhunter.comamp;mdash;Jeremy Gutscheamp;rsquo;s crowdsourced innovation website that just passed half a billion views? Well, their new office space comes close. The Wall Street Journal recently featured Trendhunteramp;rsquo;s Toronto office in an article called quot;An Office as Hip as its Occupants,quot; part of its popular Workplace of the Day feature. Located in an old horse carriage factory, the Trendhunter office is the coolly minimal epitome of a modern wo... 2011-04-25 14:22:13
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-patti-smith-time-100.html Patti Smith, one of the most singular American artists of our generation, has been named to the TIME 100, an annual list of the most influential people in the world. Patti first captured amp;mdash; or, more accurately, demanded amp;mdash; the worldamp;rsquo;s attention with 1975amp;rsquo;s Horses, an emotionally raw, visceral, and still-smoldering mixture of poetry and punk rock that remains one of the seminal albums of all time. Last year, she won the National Book Award for Just Kids, her memo... 2011-04-21 14:25:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-time-100.html Nathan Wolfe, a sort of Indiana Jones of virus hunting, has been named to the TIME 100, an annual list of the worldamp;rsquo;s most influential people. A scientist and TED speaker, Wolfe finds, tracks, and helps contain the next viral outbreakamp;mdash;the next AIDSamp;mdash;before it tips over from the animal to human population and spreads. (Most of the big deadly viruses, from Ebola to swine flu, were found in animals before they jumped to humans.) Working at the front lines of the new virolo... 2011-04-21 14:24:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-gayle-tzemach-lemmon-dressmaker-book-origins.html The Dressmaker of Khair Khana amp;mdash; about an ingenious young Afghan who supported her community while under Taliban rule amp;mdash; took its author, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon, many years and many trips to Afghanistan to complete. Lemmonamp;rsquo;s efforts to amp;ldquo;tell this story of unsung heroines and unlikely entrepreneursamp;rdquo; has paid off in spades. Receiving near universal acclaim, instant New York Times bestseller status, and praise from Angelina Jolie (amp;ldquo;This book is guar... 2011-04-19 14:26:18
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eaves-blog-on-open-government.html David Eaves, one of the most articulate voices advocating for government transparency, has written a thought-provoking blog post about how fragile and tenuous the politics of transparency really is. Many of Eavesamp;rsquo; colleaguesargue that a transparent government, once established, would be permanent. The reasoning goes like this: no government would ever roll back transparency and, therefore, risk appearing more opaque in the eyes of constituents. But, Eaves argues, last weekamp;rsquo;s hi... 2011-04-18 14:27:37
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-elder-robison-advice-young-aspergians.html John Elder Robison didn't know he had Asperger's syndrome until he was forty years old -- an astonishing story he told in his New York Times bestseller, Look Me in the Eye. Now, with his new book, Be Different, one of the world's foremost Aspergians returns with a collection of personal stories that illustrates autistic thinking. He shared some of these stories with MacLean's recently, including one from his childhood that conveys the difficulty of living in a social world with an overly rati... 2011-04-14 14:32:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-mercer-canadian-election-youth-vote-video.html Rick Mercer's trademark rants are all infectious energy and stinging truth wrapped up in 28 layers of funny. They consistently nail the political mood of this country, and they remind us, on a weekly basis, why he's Canada's leading satirist. In his latest, he takes aim at the federal election (our third in five years!) and the quot;disappointingquot; youth vote. Canada boasts over three million eligible young voters. But, to the major political parties, they might as well all be dead. The... 2011-04-14 14:28:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-linguistics-rsa-animate-video.html In this new YouTube video, Steven Pinker uses a seemingly normal sentence as a jumping off point for a provocative and deeply funny lecture about how language offers a window into human nature. (The sentence is, amp;ldquo;If you could pass the guacamole, that would be awesome.amp;rdquo;) The speech comes alive, literally, thanks to RSA Animate, which amp;mdash; with its focus on cartoon figures accompanied by thought and speech bubbles amp;mdash; is well suited to illustrate Pinker's talk on why... 2011-04-13 14:33:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-rushdie-iran-middle-east-video.html In a Big Think interview about continuing tensions in the Middle East, Salman Rushdie reminded us that the problem lies mostly within Islam amp;mdash; and not between Islam and the West. Rushdie spoke about a new generation of overwhelmingly young, liberal, and modern individuals amp;mdash; exemplified by Iranamp;rsquo;s green movement but present throughout the whole region amp;mdash; who no longer want to live under the rules of the old regime. amp;ldquo;I think if we want to look at the ... 2011-04-12 14:34:20
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-ta-nehisi-coates-civil-war-book-video.html amp;ldquo;Black history is so often rendered as series of episodes of suffering, stunning triumphs, and painful disappointments,amp;rdquo; Ta-Nehisi Coates recently told The Rumpus. amp;ldquo;I donamp;rsquo;t have much interest in any of that.amp;rdquo; Coates, a senior editor at The Atlantic, was discussing his upcoming novel, which will be told through the voices amp;mdash; amp;ldquo;the language of the timeamp;rdquo; amp;mdash; of an interracial family in pre Civil War Virginia. In the wid... 2011-04-11 14:38:04
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bill-gates-ted-reading-list-lavin-speakers.html The good folks at TED are curating a selection of titles over at the Better World Books website, a socially-conscious online bookstore. Various members of the TED community, including but not limited to TED speakers, have each chosen a few books featuring amp;ldquo;ideas worth spreading.amp;rdquo; Among the books recommended are a handful by Lavin speakers. Bill Gates recommends Dr. Jared Diamondamp;rsquo;s Collapse, about why some societies fail and others succeed, while Seth Godin highlig... 2011-04-08 14:58:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-trendhunter-innovation-pakistan.html Trendhunter CEO Jeremy Gutsche recently sent us a heartfelt and forward-looking email, celebrating an important milestone: itamp;rsquo;s been three years since he quit his innovation job to work full time on Trendhunter.comamp;mdash;his acclaimed website which, in just a fewamp;nbsp;weeks, willamp;nbsp;pass one billion all-time views. During that time, Jeremyamp;rsquo;s also travelled the world, giving keynotes on how to methodically stimulate ideas and creativity during times of change.am... 2011-04-08 14:41:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-free-water-big-thirst.html Hereamp;rsquo;s an exclusive excerpt from Charles Fishmanamp;rsquo;s eagerly awaited book, The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water, which heamp;rsquo;s been researching and writing for the last few years. Weamp;rsquo;ve been passing a pale green galley of it around the office for the last month amp;mdash; itamp;rsquo;s an excellent read! Download a chapter of it over at the excellent site, ChangeThis.com. From Charles Fishman: Free turns out to be exactly the wrong pri... 2011-04-07 15:01:09
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-gayle-tzemach-lemmon-dressmaker-digital-sales.html With her instant New York Times bestseller, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon has set a digital milestone that could signal big changes for a publishing industry in the midst of reinventing itself. According to the Wall Street Journal, Lemmonamp;rsquo;s book amp;mdash; about a female Afghan entrepreneur under Taliban rule amp;mdash; has become Harper Publishingamp;rsquo;s first leading non-fiction title to have higher digital than hardcover sales in its first two weeks. The ... 2011-04-06 15:09:56
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-even-more-awesome-review.html Have you ever read a book review that captured exactly the way you felt about a book? I just did. Instructively, itamp;rsquo;s a review of Neil Pasrichaamp;rsquo;s The Book of (Even More) Awesome, the follow-up to his bestselling Book of Awesome amp;mdash; and a book that seems to draw similar responses across a wide audience. Reviewer Laura Cococcia, writing at the Huffington Post, nails perfectly the appeal of Neilamp;rsquo;s easy-to-appreciate-but-hard-to-emulate charm. amp;ldquo;Ranging fr... 2011-04-06 15:01:45
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-why-legal-system-needs-neuroscience.html In an article in todayamp;rsquo;s Daily Telegraph, David Eagleman amp;mdash; acclaimed neuroscientist and author of Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain amp;mdash; tackled the issue of neuroscience and its role in the legal system. The central issue lies with the assumption that all people are amp;ldquo;practical reasonersamp;rdquo; (meaning they will act in their best interests and are capable of rational foresight), and that anyone who is of legal age and has an IQ of above 70 has the ... 2011-04-05 15:25:35
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rick-mercer-canadian-election.html In an article on Canadaamp;rsquo;s current Federal election, Rick Mercer offers a blisteringly hilarious rant that offers cloud-parting illumination on our countryamp;rsquo;s political system, why itamp;rsquo;s broken, and why amp;mdash; ultimately amp;mdash; it still matters. Writing at Macleans.ca, the host of the top-rated Rick Mercer Report holds no punches. amp;ldquo;Three elections in five years is a lot,amp;rdquo; Mercer writes. amp;ldquo;I have baking soda in the fridge that is olde... 2011-04-05 15:15:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-.html Please welcome our newest speaker, Jonah Keri, a journalist who covers business, baseball, and their surprisingly fertile overlap. Keri is the author of the just-mintedamp;nbsp;New York Times bestseller The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First. In the tradition of Moneyball, Keriamp;rsquo;s book takes an engaging look at how three former financial whiz kids and baseball outsiders took over the Tampa Bay Rays, leading them from divisional d... 2011-04-05 15:11:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-the-lavin-agency-goes-one-day-without-shoes.html To celebrate TOMS Shoesamp;rsquo; now annual One Day Without Shoes initiative, The Lavin Agency staff went shoelessamp;mdash;even socklessamp;mdash;at the office today. Started by TOMS and its founder Blake Mycoskie, One Day Without Shoes aims to raise awareness for the millions of children in the world who donamp;rsquo;t own shoesamp;mdash;and who are therefore subject to infections and diseases and who, in some cases, are even barred from attending school. Itamp;rsquo;s not too late to tak... 2011-04-05 15:11:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-work-smart-fast-company.html When does Amber Mac, the busiest woman in tech and social media, ever rest? This week, she launches yet another high profile project, Work Smart for Fast Company. The new webcast is all about productivity and streamlining your work life amp;mdash; a topic that clearly resonates with Amber: last month, she launched another new show, App Central, on the Business News Network; she also continues to host her critically lauded webcast commandN, run her Web consultancy MGI Media, and do her fair am... 2011-04-04 15:26:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chuck-klosterman-craig-finn-live.html Among the two of them, pop culture journalist Chuck Klosterman and singer Craig Finn have produced some of the funniest, freshest,amp;nbsp;and most quotable writing of the last decade. Klosterman, in bestselling books such as Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, and Finn, as lyricist for belovedamp;nbsp;indie band The Hold Steady. Now, both of these Midwesterners will appear on stage April 15th as part of Minnesota Public Radioamp;rsquo;s Wits series; Klosterman will speak, Finn will play songs.amp;n... 2011-04-01 15:32:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-incognito-review.html After releasing his last book, Why the Net Matters, as an iPad app, neuroscientist David Eagleman returns to traditional publishing with his latest book, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain. amp;ldquo;Most of what you do, think, act and believe is generated by parts of your brain to which you have no access,amp;rdquo; writes Eagleman. amp;ldquo;Hereamp;rsquo;s the expose about the non-conscious brain and all the machinery under the hood that keeps the show going.amp;rdquo; Though other ... 2011-04-01 15:31:44
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-rushdie-talks-middle-east-revolution.html amp;ldquo;This is not a religious revolution,amp;rdquo; Salman Rushdie said last month during a speech at Emory University, where he is aamp;nbsp; Distinguished Writer-in-Residence. amp;ldquo;Itamp;rsquo;s a secular revolution.amp;rdquo; He was referring to the social change sweeping countries like Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Jordan, Libya, and Bahrain, which he compared to nothing less than the fall of communism.amp;nbsp; amp;ldquo;This could be the moment at which these states, which have been crip... 2011-03-31 15:34:15
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lev-grossman-the-pale-king-review.html In this weekamp;rsquo;s Time magazine, leading book critic Lev Grossman looks at the creation of David Foster Wallaceamp;rsquo;s hugely anticipated posthumous novel, The Pale King. With piercing insight, Grossmanamp;rsquo;s piece does double duty, serving as both a book review and an in depth look at David Wallace (amp;ldquo;his middle name was just for book jacketsamp;rdquo;) the person: his strange genius, his life leading up to his death, and his uncanny ability to write with equal parts... 2011-03-31 15:33:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-joins-new-york-times-op-ed.html Lavin speaker Virginia Heffernan will join The New York Times Opinion Pages starting Monday, she told AdWeek. Previous to joining the Op-Ed section, Virginia wrote The Medium column for The New York Times Magazine and also served as the television critic for the Times. A provocative thinker and a gifted stylist, Virginia has written everything from a New Yorker profile of Tina Fey (itamp;rsquo;s incredible) to a Medium column dedicated to the particular tone that old telephones make (ditto!). P... 2011-03-30 15:36:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-toms-shoes-one-day-without-shoes.html Next Tuesday, April 5, 2011, The Lavin Agency staff will be working barefoot in support of TOMS Shoesamp;rsquo; fantastic initiative, One Day Without Shoes. Last year, over 250,000 participants went barefoot to remind us that, in many developing countries, children must walk without shoes for miles just to get to clean water and medical supplies or attend school. Along the way, they are subject to cuts and infections. Often, children cannot even attend school barefoot. In the video above, ... 2011-03-30 15:35:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-time-magazine-top-list-of-tweeters.html Time recently picked the 140 Best Twitter Feeds in the world, and three Lavin speakers made the cut. Thereamp;rsquo;s Paul Kedrosky, the editor of Infectious Greed, and an opinionated and prolific tweeter. Prolific is an understatement amp;mdash; yesterday alone, he pushed out over 50 tweets! Thereamp;rsquo;s also Ta-Nehisi Coates, who runs a riotously provocative blog over at The Atlantic; he also contributes pieces to the magazine, like this recent article on a neighborhood in Detroit that i... 2011-03-29 15:40:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blanket-haiti-happy-johnson-trip-to-port-au-prince.html Social entrepreneur Happy Johnson recently visited Port-au-Prince to deliver blankets to orphanages, hospitals and schools. It was his second relief mission on behalf on his organization, Blanket Haiti, and this time around he even made a quick iPhone movie (above). I asked Happy how things are in Haiti, a year after the earthquake. amp;ldquo;Things do look a lot better,amp;rdquo; he said. amp;ldquo;I was impressed with the police presence. Last year, I saw no cops. This year we got pulled... 2011-03-28 15:42:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-speaks-on-digital-delight-and-anxiety.html Virginia Heffernan amp;mdash; who writes often, and provocatively, on the way digital technology has reconfigured the cultural landscape amp;mdash; will deliver her keynote, amp;ldquo;The Pleasures of the Internet,amp;rdquo; at the School of Visual Arts in New York on Tuesday, March 29. The event is part of the esteemed D-Crit Lecture Series and is free to the public. Currently a writer for The New York Times, Heffernan will talk about the delight amp;mdash; and anxiety amp;mdash; of digital exi... 2011-03-27 15:53:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Jonah-Lehrer-Tells-Ad-Group-Why-Brainstorming-Doesnt-Work.html Earlier this week, Jonah Lehrer delivered a keynote to a prestigious advertising crowd in New York, concentrating on the pivotal question of where creativity can be found. Speaking to a packed house of modern day Don Drapers amp;amp; Peggy Olsons amp;mdash; ad men and women who are finding ways to wield magazine ads and Twitter hashtags to reach consumers amp;mdash; the talk was quintessential Lehrer. He touched on decision-making, the collision of art and science, and some new terrain amp;mdash... 2011-03-25 15:59:05
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-elder-robison-ingenious-minds.html John Elder Robison, Lavin speaker and author of Look Me in the Eye, was recently profiled on an episode of Science Channelamp;rsquo;s Ingenious Minds amp;ndash; a show that explores the lives of savants. Robison was born with Aspergeramp;rsquo;s syndrome (but wasnamp;rsquo;t diagnosed until age forty), a type of autism that is characterized by an extreme lack of social skills coupled with intense talent in narrow interests. For Robison, his interest has always been in electronics and engine... 2011-03-24 16:04:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rafe-esquith-kennedy-center-stephen-sondheim-award.html Rafe Esquith, the man Newsday calls amp;ldquo;a Modern day Thoreau,amp;rdquo; is one of ten educators to receive the 2011 Kennedy Center / Stephen Sondheim Inspirational Teacher Award. The awards amp;ldquo;publicly recognize specific teachers by spotlighting their extraordinary impact on the lives of students,amp;rdquo; and each honoree is nominated by former students. The students in Esquithamp;rsquo;s fabled Classroom 56 in downtown Los Angeles live in poverty, and - for the most part - s... 2011-03-24 16:03:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-mba-financial-post.html Jeremy Gutsche, Lavin speaker and founder of Trendhunter.com, didnamp;rsquo;t achieve success all on his own. It was his well rounded background, including an MBA from Queenamp;rsquo;s University, that gave him the foundation he needed to become one of the worldamp;rsquo;s foremost expert on consumer trends. That amp;mdash; and a little help from his friends. In a recent Financial Post article on the social aspect of MBA programs, Gutsche explained how his classmates, especially one named G... 2011-03-23 16:11:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-arthur-caplan-fukushima-msnbc-article.html While most people have been evacuated from the surrounding areas of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant, there are those brave few that stay behind. These fearless workers, dubbed amp;ldquo;the Fukushima 50amp;rdquo;, are risking their lives amp;mdash; by facing possible explosions, fires, and extended periods of radiation amp;mdash; to prevent a total meltdown that would render the surrounding hundred miles uninhabitable for decades. In a recent article for MSNBC, Lavin speaker and bioethics... 2011-03-23 16:08:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-patti-smith-just-kids-review.html The legendary Patti Smith performed last month in New York, where she read from her book Just Kids and played some of her most famous songs to a packed house at the 92nd St. Y. In a special live show, Smith alternated between reading from the National Book Award winning memoir, musing about life in spontaneous asides, and playing her iconic music with longtime Patti Smith Band guitarist Lenny Kaye. In a show review from Flavorwire, Smith was praised for delivering an utterly unique experien... 2011-03-23 15:09:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-maeda-adobe-museum-digital-media.html John Maeda, the President of the Rhode Island School of Design and one of the worldamp;rsquo;s foremost design thinkers, presents a brand new exhibit at the uniquely virtual Adobe Museum of Digital Media. The exhibit, entitled amp;ldquo;Atoms + Bits = the neue Craft (ABC)amp;rdquo; will run from March 23 - December 31 on Adobeamp;rsquo;s all-online museum. The idea behind the exhibit is to bridge the gap and analyze the connection between the digital world, the physical world and the world ... 2011-03-22 16:22:19
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-drew-dudley-leadership-video-tedx-ibyork.html Here is the amazing Drew Dudley, at TEDxIBYork, talking about how weamp;rsquo;ve made leadership into something bigger than us, something beyond our reach. Most people, when asked, simply refuse to call themselves a leader, no matter how accurate that descriptor might be. This is wrong for a number of reasons, Drew says, least of which is the fact that it lets us ignore the small, triumphant, and even life-changing acts of leadership that nonetheless happen every day, beneath our notice. I... 2011-03-22 15:09:37
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-james-fallows-libya-atlantic.html amp;ldquo;Count me among those very skeptical of how this commitment was made and where it might lead,amp;rdquo; James Fallows recently wrote in reaction to the news that America and other countries were imposing a no-fly zone over Libya. Though he was busy on assignment in China, Fallows was moved to comment nonetheless: amp;ldquo;it cannot reassure anyone who cares about Americaamp;rsquo;s viability as a republic that it is entering another war with essentially zero Congressional consultat... 2011-03-21 15:08:48
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-ta-nehisi-coates-atlantic-article-the-other-detroit.html In this monthamp;rsquo;samp;nbsp;Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates profiles the Detroit neighborhood of Palmer Woods amp;mdash; amp;ldquo;arguably the American black eliteamp;rsquo;s most majestic enclave.amp;rdquo; Established in 1915 as a whites-only retreat from urban life, Palmer Woods became popular with upper middle class African-Americans after racially restrictive rules were lifted, in 1948, and prominent black community members amp;mdash; such as Motown songwriter Lamont Dozier amp;mdash;... 2011-03-21 15:07:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-leo-rautins-speaker-preview-video.html Please welcome our newest exclusive speaker, Leo Rautins, who made history by being the first ever Canadian chosen in the first round of the NBA Draft. Leo was also pursued by basically every top US college, which is perhaps a more important accomplishment, in that it showed American recruiters that Canada, in those pre-Steve Nash days, was a worthwhile place to look for basketball talent. Leo currently works as a basketball analyst on TV (TSN, Raptors TV, etc) and is the head coach of Ca... 2011-03-18 15:14:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-andrea-elliot-story-new-york-times-magazine-yasir-qadhi.html Andrea Elliott spent months writing this weekamp;rsquo;s New York Times Magazine cover story, about a Muslim cleric trying to prevent extremism in the U.S. by attempting to talk openly to his young followers about a plethora of thorny topics, including jihad. In the article, Elliott profiles Yasir Qadhi, amp;ldquo;one of the most influential conservative clerics in American Islam, drawing a tide of followers in the fundamentalist movement known as Salafiya.amp;rdquo; (In the Salafiya movem... 2011-03-18 15:13:44
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alex-steffen-crowdfunding-book-carbon-zero.html Sustainability speaker Alex Steffenamp;mdash;who just released Worldchanging 2.0 amp;mdash; has taken to the Web in an innovativeamp;nbsp;effort to crowdfund his next book, Carbon Zero: A Short Tour of Our Future City. amp;ldquo;My goal here is to explain carbon neutrality in a short, amusing book that can be read in an afternoon,amp;rdquo; writes Steffen, who will draw most of the text from a series of popular lectures he delivered last year. amp;ldquo;The climate crisis demands that we s... 2011-03-18 15:13:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-motivates-brand.html Neuroscientist David Eagleman, whose unique brand of amp;ldquo;guerilla scienceamp;rdquo; was recently featured on NOVA, just delivered his new keynote on consumer research amp;mdash; specifically, what does traditional consumer research get wrong? And why is brand loyalty evenamp;nbsp;more important than we assume?amp;nbsp; Emotion, Motivation, and Reputation: What Matters to the Mind of the Consumer What motivates people to care about a brand?amp;nbsp; Why do people show loyalty to corpor... 2011-03-18 15:12:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-laurie-garrett-chernobyl-japan-op-ed.html In a recent New York Times Op-Ed, global health speaker Laurie Garrett contrasts the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in Japan with the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe. Though details of the accidents in Japan remain sketchy, we can heed lessons from Chernobyl today. For one thing, Garrett notes, the distribution of iodine pills amp;mdash; which help block radiation from being absorbed by the thyroid gland amp;mdash; was slow after Chernobyl, a fatal mistake. (Today, the surround... 2011-03-17 15:18:00
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-carl-hiaasen-new-statesman-interview.html In a recent interview in New Statesman Magazine, Carl Hiaasen discussed his latest novel Star Island and talked about the bookamp;rsquo;s inspiration, as well as the problems associated with literary sub-genres. Star Island is a satirical look (set in Florida, naturally) at the cult of celebrity in America. The protagonist, Cherry Pye, is a fictional celebrity in the mold of the Kardashians, Hiltons and Lohans of the world. The celebrated author drew his inspiration from his journalism back... 2011-03-17 15:16:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-carol-kaesuk-yoon-plants-nyt-article.html In her latest article, New York Times biology writer and Lavin speaker Carol Kaesuk Yoon looks at the biological makeup of edible plant life and asks: if many people are morally opposed to eating animals, how come no one seems to have a problem with eating plants? A former vegetarian herself, Yoon delves into the nature of plant life to reveal that plants, just like animals, donamp;rsquo;t want to be eaten. For example: From The New York Times: When a plant is wounded, its body immediately... 2011-03-16 15:19:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-douglas-merrill-microfinance-sxsw.html At the SXSWamp;nbsp;2011 Festival in Austin, Lavin speaker Douglas Merrill spoke on a panel called amp;ldquo;The Future of Consumer Lending,amp;rdquo; about personal debt, responsible lending, and why 30 million Americans basically live paycheck-to-paycheck. The Guardian UK writes, amp;ldquo;The most interesting of the panelists was Douglas Merrill, a former chief information officer at Google and Rand Corporation staffer who is now in the business of providing small, amp;lsquo;friendlyamp;... 2011-03-15 15:30:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-vanessa-farquharson-lives-green-for-a-year.html Please welcome our newest speaker Vanessa Farquharson, a National Post journalist and product junkie who made one eco-friendly change to her life every day, cumulatively, for an entire year. 365 days of living green! A perfect speaker for those who feel helpless and doubtful about adopting a green lifestyle, Vanessa wins even the most cynical audiences over with her self-deprecating humor and approachable nature. amp;ldquo;Farquharsonamp;rsquo;s appealing candor and nonsanctimonious attitud... 2011-03-15 10:11:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-rafe-esquith-lighting-their-fires-video.html amp;ldquo;The only thing of which Iamp;rsquo;m proud is that, after 28 years, Iamp;rsquo;m still a classroom teacher at Hobart Elementary in Los Angeles,amp;rdquo; says Rafe Esquith. The comment is his slyly self-effacing amp;mdash; but heartfelt amp;mdash; way of acknowledging, then shrugging off, the accolades heamp;rsquo;s received. Rafe has been named the National Teacher of the Year. Heamp;nbsp;won a citation from the White House. And heamp;rsquo;s been called a amp;ldquo;genius and a s... 2011-03-14 10:16:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-review-a-thousand-times-more-fair-kenji-yoshino.html Kenji Yoshinoamp;rsquo;s A Thousand Times More Fair, which looks at themes of justice in Shakespeare, has been hailed by The Charlotte Observer as amp;ldquo;the most enlightening study of the subject to appear in a century.amp;rdquo; Drawing startling parallels between nine Shakespeare plays amp;mdash; from Titus Andronicus to The Tempest amp;mdash; Kenji Yoshino looks at how the Bard anticipated contemporary American notions of justice and the law. What does The Merchant of Venice tell us abou... 2011-03-14 10:14:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-salman-rushdie-next-people-showtime.html According to Variety, Booker Prize-winning author Salman Rushdie is developing an ambitious hourlong drama called Next People to air on Showtime, homeamp;nbsp;of Dexter, Weeds, and Nurse Jackie. Charting the rapid change in contemporary American life, the show will incorporate politics, sex, religion, technology and science. Rushdie is writing the first script of the series, which heamp;rsquo;samp;nbsp;executive producing with the UK-based company Working Title TV. Though Salman Rushdie is b... 2011-03-11 10:37:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-cities-neuroscience.html Following up on his recent New York Times Magazine profile of Geoffrey West amp;mdash; the physicist who has solved the problem of the city amp;mdash; Jonah Lehreramp;nbsp;now asks: amp;ldquo;Are people nicer in cities?amp;rdquo; Jonah first discusses superlinear scaling, which measures the increased output of people living in large urban centers. For instance, a person who lives in a city of one million is more innovative and productive than a person living in a city onf five hundred thous... 2011-03-11 10:17:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-toms-shoes-USA-network-character-approved-video.html Lavin speaker and TOMS Shoes founder Blake Mycoskie has been named a USA Network Character Approved Honoree for 2011. Mycoskieamp;rsquo;s company, which works on a one-for-one model, recently sold its one-millionth pair of shoes amp;mdash; which means they have also given away one million pairs of shoes to children in need around the world. TOMS Shoes continues to change the way people think about business, including how to do good socially while doing well financially. In the video above,... 2011-03-10 15:49:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-gets-generous-for-charity.html Amber Mac donates to The Toronto Humane SocietyAmber Mac donates to UnicefYesterday, social media speaker, author, and TV host Amber Mac was one of four celebrities to take part in a unique charity fundraiser for ING Direct. Amber had to spend $7,000 in seven hours on acts of kindness toward others. At the end of her spree, the online bank donated an additional $15,000 to the charity of her choice. So, how does someone spend $7,000 on complete strangers over the course of one hectic andamp;n... 2011-03-10 10:46:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-ted-2011-fixing-education.html David Lavin attended TED 2011amp;nbsp;in Long Beach, California, last week. Heamp;rsquo;s been going to TED for the past few years now: many of our speakers give talks there, and two of them amp;mdash; E.O. Wilson and Karen Armstrong amp;mdash; are TED Prize winners. Below are some of his thoughts on one of the themes that emerged from TED 2011. David: Bill Gatesamp;rsquo; session on the future of education was the most provocative session at TED2011. Over the last few years it has become... 2011-03-10 09:24:40
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-sum-review-recap.html amp;ldquo;Iamp;rsquo;ve never encountered a book quite like the marvelously intelligent and imaginative Sum,amp;rdquo; writes Laura Grace Weldon over at Wiredamp;rsquo;s Geek Dad blog. The sentiment is enormously kind amp;mdash; and spot on. Written by rambunctious neuroscientist David Eagleman over the course of seven years, Sum is a unique work of literary fiction that fuses philosophy and religion to produce anamp;nbsp;expansive investigation into questions about faith, science and human n... 2011-03-09 10:42:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-first-even-more-awesome-review.html Lavin speaker Neil Pasricha will release The Book of (Even More) Awesome in April. If you liked Neilamp;rsquo;s first Book of Awesome amp;mdash; which sat at the top of the bestseller list for most of 2010 amp;mdash; then youamp;rsquo;ll love the new book: 224 more awesome and day-brightening entries, like amp;ldquo;Getting the keys to your first apartment.amp;rdquo; Thereamp;rsquo;s more to come from Neil in the weeks ahead, as he sets out on a massive media tour (and several Lavin speakin... 2011-03-09 08:40:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-debbie-travis-building-a-brand.html Just in time for International Womenamp;rsquo;s Day, The Lavin Agency Speakers Bureauamp;nbsp;is pleased to announce that we have signed Debbie Travis, the renowned designer and entrepreneur behind Canadaamp;rsquo;s biggest celebrity brand. Travis possesses a fantastic dry British wit and exudes a passionate, authentic charm, whether on TV or on the stage. Many of Travisamp;rsquo; talks center on her deft balance of work and home lifeamp;mdash;specifically, on how to handle the pressures of... 2011-03-08 11:17:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lavin-speakers-the-guardian-top-100-women.html To celebrate International Womenamp;rsquo;s Day, The Guardian has compiled a list of the Top 100 Women in fields ranging from film, politics, academia, science and everywhere in between. Four of Lavinamp;rsquo;s speakers have been honored: feminist author Susan Faludi, Indian film director Mira Nair, literary icon Margaret Atwood, and seminal punk artist Patti Smith.From The Guardianamp;rsquo;s Top 100 Women: Susan Faludi No one has done more in the past two decades to challenge lazy, irres... 2011-03-08 10:18:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alan-deutschman-science-of-change.html An expert in the field of leadership and change, Alan Deutschman recently accepted a position as a Professor at the University of Nevada, Reno amp;mdash; where he realized that even an authority on change can have a difficult time with it in his own life. After realizing just how challenging a career switch can be, Deutschman found that, over time, our brains can literally change, depending on our job. From The Boston Globe: When I talked with one of the worldamp;rsquo;s leading neuroscient... 2011-03-07 11:20:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neri-oxman-3d-printing-the-economist.html Neri Oxman amp;mdash; the acclaimed MIT architect, artist,amp;nbsp;and materials scientistamp;nbsp;who designed aamp;nbsp;chair that moves with your body weight amp;mdash; was featuredamp;nbsp;in a recentamp;nbsp;Economist article on 3D Printing. Thatamp;rsquo;s right, 3D Printing! In the future, the magazine writes, amp;ldquo;some see consumers downloading products as they do digital music and printing them out at home, or at a local 3D production centre, having tweaked the designs to their ... 2011-03-07 11:19:35
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-carl-hiaasen-lifetime-achievement-award.html Credited by many as the originator of the amp;ldquo;Florida Noiramp;rdquo; genre, celebrated author and Lavin speaker Carl Hiaasen has been awarded the 2011 Florida Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing. Hiaasen is a Florida icon, and throughout his career he has used the Sunshine Statesamp;rsquo;s peculiarities as inspiration for both his novels and his non-fiction work. Below is an excerpt from The Miami Herald,amp;nbsp; the newspaper that launched Hiaasenamp;rsquo;s career at the age of 2... 2011-03-07 11:18:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-video-middle-east-revolutions-iran.html In a short video for the Council on Foreign Relations, Reza Aslan addresses European and American commentators who believe the wave of revolution sweeping the Middle East only serves to strengthen Iran. amp;ldquo;If you think of the relationship between the United States and Iran as some sort of Cold War relationship,amp;rdquo; Aslan says, amp;ldquo;then, yes, thereamp;rsquo;s no question that these democratic revolutions do benefit Iran amp;mdash; in the short term. But I think thatamp;rsq... 2011-03-04 11:26:01
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eaves-open-data-talk-testimonial.html David Eaves is a public policy expert who is on a quest to help governments adopt the open data sensibilities of the 21st century. Heamp;rsquo;s also an amazing speaker. Eaves spoke at the Just a Click Away conference recently, where he blew the crowd away with his innovative take on the future of government transparency: From Just a Click Away: Three key elements [that David Eaves brought up] point to the question of what can be done differently: 1) Open and accessible data, which can be an... 2011-03-04 11:22:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-margaret-atwood-world-book-night.html Author Margaret Atwood needs no introduction. Sheamp;rsquo;s simply one of Canadaamp;rsquo;s amp;mdash; one of the worldamp;rsquo;s amp;mdash; best-known champions of literary culture. In a recent op-ed for The Daily Telegraph, Atwood praises Unescoamp;rsquo;s World Book Night and muses on the extraordinary power of booksamp;nbsp;to connect people.From The Daily Telegraph: What is it that makes books things people love to give? Perhaps itamp;rsquo;s because theyamp;rsquo;re so personal. amp;ld... 2011-03-04 08:43:49
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeremy-gutsche-the-pitch-bnn.html World renowned trend hunter and innovation speaker Jeremy Gutsche is now a judge on BNNamp;rsquo;s new show, The Pitch, which gives two aspiring entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to the panel, who in turn give the entrepreneurs the advice they need to become successful. (Jeremyamp;rsquo;s many speakingamp;nbsp;commitments keeps him from being a full time panelist, but heamp;rsquo;s on as often as his schedule allows.)From BNNamp;rsquo;s The Pitch: During the progr... 2011-03-03 13:57:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-joseph-kahn-detention-trailer.html Joseph Kahnamp;rsquo;s instantly recognizable music videos amp;mdash; for artists such as Eminem, Rihanna, Britney Spears, and U2 amp;mdash; have made him one of the most influential young directors in America. Kahn is widely credited with being one of the first directors to feature multicultural casts in his videos, bringing multiculturalism to youth culture via MTV. Now, heamp;rsquo;s moving into the world of feature films. His latest movie, Detention, is a multi-genre teen romp that has ... 2011-03-03 13:17:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-toms-shoes-USA-network-character-approved-award.html TOMS shoes founder and Lavin speaker Blake Mycoskie has been named as a 2011 USA Network Character Approved honoree, along with singer Janelle Monae, filmmaker Davis Guggenheim, chef Grant Achatz, and eight others. The award amp;ldquo;honor[s] the real characters who are changing the face of American Cultureamp;rdquo;, and celebrates those that influence, inspire, and innovate. Blake Mycoskie was a natural choice for the award:From USAamp;rsquo;s Character Approved: Just over four years ag... 2011-03-03 08:49:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-tracking-pandemic-ted.html To celebrate TED 2011, which is taking place this week in Long Beach, California, weamp;rsquo;re posting some of our favorite TED talks from Lavin Agency speakers. Today, we hear from Nathan Wolfe, an extraordinary young scientist whose work has been featured in The New Yorker and Rolling Stone and on CNN. The founder of the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, Nathan Wolfe shares thrilling stories from his work in the jungles of Africa, where he and his team study viral infections in anima... 2011-03-02 15:11:40
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alex-steffen-new-york-times-interview.html This week, sustainability speaker Alex Steffen released the second edition of Worldchanging amp;mdash; though second edition is kind of a misnomer; the book consists of mostly-new material that happens to fall under a familiar banner. In an interview with The New York Timesamp;rsquo; Dot Earth Blog, Steffen spoke about the new book, the future of online education, the difference between bright green approaches as opposed to deep green approaches, and amp;mdash; of course amp;mdash; his nat... 2011-03-02 14:14:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lisa-shannon-huffington-post-article.html Lisa Shannon, the founder of Run for Congo Women, has been selected as the first amp;ldquo;Greatest Woman of the Dayamp;rdquo; by The Huffington Postamp;nbsp;as part ofamp;nbsp;its month-long celebration of Womenamp;rsquo;s History Month. Though Lisa admits that she wouldnamp;rsquo;t have been able to find Congo on a map of Africaamp;nbsp;just a few years ago, she has, to date, raised over $1 million for Congolese women. (The Congo, she reminds us, is often called amp;ldquo;the worst place ... 2011-03-02 08:51:40
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-middle-east-christiane-amanpour.html On ABC News This Week, Reza Aslan talked to Christiane Amanpour about the uprisings in Libya, and why the Middle East revolution is definitely a youth revolution. For one thing, the young revolutionaries benefit from amp;mdash; and obsessively use amp;mdash; new technologies that their parentsamp;rsquo; generation simply didnamp;rsquo;t have. This technology makes it extremely difficult for authoritative regimes to isolate them from the outside world. Reza also spoke about Iran. There will ... 2011-03-01 15:39:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-the-big-thirst-revelations.html Charles Fishmanamp;rsquo;s upcoming book, The Big Thirst, looks at the new age of water, and how this often overlooked and utterly necessary resource may come to define the next century. He recentlyamp;nbsp;sent us this list, entitled amp;ldquo;Ways The Big Thirst Will Forever Changeamp;nbsp;How You Think About a Glass of Tap Water, a Bath, or a Rainstorm.amp;rdquo; Hereamp;rsquo;s a brief snapshot: 1) Water is the oldest substance youamp;rsquo;ll ever come in contact with. All the water on ... 2011-03-01 15:25:57
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-maulik-pancholy-diffusing-stereotypes.html Did you know that Maulik Pancholy amp;mdash; who plays the hilariousamp;nbsp;Jonathan on 30 Rock amp;mdash; is also an in-demand diversity speaker? In college lectures, Maulik uses his experiences as an Indian-American actor in Hollywood to discuss how media stereotypes have evolved, and how these stereotypes can be perpetuated or diffused through the actions we take. Itamp;rsquo;s a serious subject, and Maulik, a Yale MFA, digs deep. But he also keeps it palpably light, seeding his talk w... 2011-03-01 08:52:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-virginia-heffernan-northwestern-university.html In a keynote speech delivered to Northwestern Universityamp;rsquo;s Center for the Writing Arts, Virginia Heffernan, of The New York Times, talked about the dominance of digital culture, the loss of analog culture, and a subgroup of people amp;mdash; call them analog amp;ldquo;hoardersamp;rdquo; amp;mdash; who refuse to let go of physical objects. amp;ldquo;Thereamp;rsquo;s certainly a place and culture for a love of objects, like antique books and rare books and collecting books,amp;rdquo;... 2011-02-25 10:03:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-the-medium-last-column-virginia-heffernan.html Virginia Heffernan has written her last amp;ldquo;Mediumamp;rdquo; column for The New York Times Magazine, and it is brilliant. In the article, Heffernan argues that Kindle Singles amp;mdash; which allow readers to buy individual stories at a cheap price amp;mdash; have saved long-form narrative non-fiction, amp;ldquo;the only homegrown American literary form.amp;rdquo; Narrative non-fiction, exemplified by writers like Joan Didion and Truman Capote, shrank amp;ldquo;not because people got ... 2011-02-25 09:58:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-book-of-even-more-awesome.html Neil Pasricha will release The Book of (Even More) Awesome amp;mdash; the follow up to his #1 international bestseller, The Book of Awesome amp;mdash; on April 28, 2011. The new book continues to highlight Neilamp;rsquo;s trademark observations, which have brought knowing smiles and familiar nods to everyone from grad students to grandmothers. In his entry for amp;ldquo;Sneaking cheaper candy into the movie theater,amp;rdquo; Neil writes, helpfully, amp;ldquo;The only thing to avoid are M... 2011-02-25 09:04:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-civil-rights-icon-minnijean-brown-trickey-ovation.html After Minnijean Brown Trickey gaveamp;nbsp;her emotional keynote at Peru State College last month, something unexpected happened, something wonderful and heartfelt. Something 53 years in the making. First, a quick refresher: As a 16 year-old, Minnijean was a member of the Little Rock Nine, whose courageous actions in the fall of 1957 helped set the stage for the desegregation of public schools in America. Though Minnijean became one of the first African-Americans to attend Little Rock Cen... 2011-02-24 15:45:34
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-Mark-Bittman-mcdonalds-outmeal-new-york-times.html amp;ldquo;In typical McDonaldamp;rsquo;s fashion,amp;rdquo; Mark Bittman writes, amp;ldquo;the company is doing everything it can to turn oatmeal into yet another bad choice.amp;rdquo; Bittmanamp;rsquo;s article on McDonaldamp;rsquo;s decision to sell oatmeal amp;mdash; or, as he puts it, a combination of amp;ldquo;oats, sugar, sweetened dried fruit, cream and 11 weird ingredients you would never keep in your kitchenamp;rdquo; amp;mdash; is currently the #1amp;nbsp;most-readamp;nbsp;at the... 2011-02-24 10:33:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-andrew-ramlo-speaker-review-lavin-agency.html A few of the Lavin agents went to see demographics speaker Andrew Ramlo at his keynote in Toronto today. Ramloamp;rsquo;s on-stage style amp;mdash; quirky humor, quick wit, great energy amp;mdash; cuts against the stereotype of the rumbled, number-crunching demographer. His talks get audiences to laugh, applaud, and take notice. In this morningamp;rsquo;s keynote, for a company that sells technology to seniors, Andrew came armed with research and statistics tracking how Canadaamp;rsquo... 2011-02-24 09:48:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-natalie-jeremijenko-fast-company-influential-women.html Fast Companyamp;rsquo;s recent list of the Most Influential Women in Design for 2011 includes Natalie Jeremijenko, the NYU professor for whom amp;ldquo;environmentalism is not a passive act of cutting back, itamp;rsquo;s all about getting out there and doing more.amp;rdquo; The business magazine writes that Jeremijenko, a Lavin design speaker, amp;ldquo;seeks to use new technologies, generally manufactured by large corporations and the military, and use those technologies for social and env... 2011-02-23 16:07:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-richard-heinzl-libya.html Just caught up with Dr. Richard Heinzl, the founder of Doctors Without Borders Canada, who has provided care to many of the worldamp;rsquo;s most vulnerable populations. Heamp;rsquo;s doing some research for his keynote this Monday, and incorporating recent and relevant news stories into his main talk, as heamp;rsquo;s often asked to do. For this address, heamp;rsquo;ll speak briefly and thoughtfully on the uprising in Libya, and try to provide, at the very least, his personal perspectivea... 2011-02-23 15:59:33
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lisa-shannon-a-thousand-sisters-paperback.html Lisa Shannonamp;rsquo;s memoir A Thousand Sisters, about her journey to help women in the Congo at enormous personal cost, is now out in paperback. Since its release, Lisa has been named to Oprah Magazineamp;rsquo;s Power List, profiled on ABCamp;rsquo;s World News Tonight, and championed by Nicholas Kristof in both his Op-Ed column and his New York Times Magazine cover story on what he dubs amp;ldquo;The D.I.Y. Foreign Aid Revolution.amp;rdquo; A passionate speaker on womenamp;rsquo;s rights ... 2011-02-23 09:48:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-happy-johnson-rebuild-haiti-social-change.html Social change speaker Happy Johnson first came to prominence with Blanket New Orleans amp;mdash; a unique relief effort he started during the terrifying aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In those chaotic post-Katrina days, Happy also pitched in by driving an Emergency Response Vehicle; anything he could do to help. Though heamp;rsquo;s still active in New Orleans, Happy has continued his humanitarian project elsewhere. In 2010, he travelled to Port au Prince, shortly after the earthquake, t... 2011-02-22 10:05:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-fishman-the-big-thirst-corporation.html Above is a sneak peak at Charles Fishmanamp;rsquo;s new book, The Big Thirst, his globe-trotting tour de force on water amp;mdash; the worldamp;rsquo;s most precious and least understood resource. The golden age of water amp;mdash; an age when water was clean, cheap, and abundant amp;mdash; is coming to an end, says Fishman, a Fast Company investigative reporter and author of the acclaimed book, The Wal-Mart Effect. In a corporate keynote based on The Big Thirst, Fishman outlines the risks, b... 2011-02-22 10:01:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-video-middle-east-revolutions-literature.html Reza Aslan will discuss the role literature has played in the fight for revolution in the Middle East as part of an esteemed panel, at the 92nd Street Y, that also includes Azar Nafisi and Nathan Englander. The event takes place next Monday, February 28th, 2011. Itamp;rsquo;s a topic for our times, and one that is well suited for Reza, who has just edited a groundbreaking anthology, Tablet amp;amp; Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East. Rezaamp;nbsp;will also release a complet... 2011-02-22 09:59:19
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chuck-klosterman-sex-drugs-and-cocoa-puffs.html Every year, designer John Gall asks his first-year students to design a book cover for their all-time favorite book. Unsurprisingly, Chuck Klostermanamp;rsquo;s Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs amp;mdash; which the Onion AV Club calls, correctly,amp;nbsp;amp;ldquo;one of the brightest pieces of pop analysis to appear this centuryamp;rdquo; amp;mdash; is the most popular book among the students.amp;nbsp;Goingamp;nbsp;on anecdotal evidence, I haveamp;nbsp;a feeling that similar polls would yield sim... 2011-02-22 09:57:51
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bruce-philp-consumer-republic.html Marketing speaker Bruce Philpamp;rsquo;s eagerly-awaited new book, Consumer Republic, is now in stores. Weamp;rsquo;ll have more on Bruce in the coming weeks, but first, a preview of the book: Consumer Republic dares you to consider this: The power to save the world lies with the consumer. The foundation of Bruce Philpamp;rsquo;s message is this single, inarguable truth: Brands make corporations accountable. They are the only leverage the average consumer has with which to make a company be... 2011-02-18 10:17:17
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-charles-kimball-religion-civilizations-class.html Charles Kimballamp;rsquo;s article on the fallacy of theamp;nbsp;amp;ldquo;Clash of Civilizationsamp;rdquo; ran on the front page of The Huffington Post yesterday, and itamp;rsquo;s garnered a tremendous response. Beginning with amp;ldquo;the revolutionary tsunami in Egypt,amp;rdquo; Kimballamp;rsquo;s piece skillfully debunks the notion that a amp;ldquo;Clashamp;rdquo; exists: the theory, he says, amp;ldquo;presupposes that there is an amp;lsquo;usamp;rsquo; and a amp;lsquo;them,amp;rsquo; ... 2011-02-18 10:09:06
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-middle-east-social-media.html While many people are quick to dub the protests sweeping the Middle East as amp;ldquo;The Facebook Revolutions,amp;rdquo; Daron Acemoglu thinks that Groupon might serve as a better analogy. In a recent New York Times article, Acemoglu argues that the real power of social networking tools is their ability to overcome the problem of collective action, something Groupon does well.From The Times: amp;ldquo;It is a question of coordinating peopleamp;rsquo;s beliefs,amp;rdquo; said Daron Acemog... 2011-02-17 10:26:08
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-jeopardy-super-computer.html As IBMamp;rsquo;s Watson outsmarts its human competitors on Jeopardy this week, Steven Pinker, the Harvard psychologist, weighs in on what the computeramp;rsquo;s victory could mean for humanity. Asked by The New Yorker whether Watson is a scientific breakthrough or merely a parlor trickamp;mdash;an elaborate billion-dollar parlor trick!amp;mdash;Pinker said that Watson may provide insight into human cognition. But, he adds: amp;ldquo;[W]hen a system is designed to meet a highly specific cha... 2011-02-17 10:25:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-tom-wujec-marshmallow-challenge-video.html Innovation speaker Tom Wujecamp;rsquo;s amp;ldquo;Marshmallow Challengeamp;rdquo; is a design experiment that reveals surprising lessons about teamwork, collaboration, and project management. Tomamp;rsquo;s experiment sounds simple enough: teams try to build the tallest freestanding structure they can out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, 1 yard of tape, 1 yard of string and a marshmallow. What makes it difficult, though, is the need for teams to organize, prototype and finally build the structu... 2011-02-17 10:18:29
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kenji-yoshino-a-thousand-times-more-fair-release.html Even if, like me, youamp;rsquo;re not a particular fan of Shakespeare, youamp;rsquo;ll still get a lot out of Kenji Yoshinoamp;rsquo;s brilliant new book, A Thousand Times More Fair, which shows us how the Bard got it so right, so long ago, on so many issues of modern justice. Of course, if you are a fan, the book offers a startlingly new appreciation, and another reason to revisit Shakespeareamp;rsquo;s plays. In the book, Kenji explains, for instance, how the white handkerchief in Othello e... 2011-02-16 10:28:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jessica-jackley-microfinance-kiva-connecting-people.html In a recent Globe and Mail video, Jessica Jackley directly addresses the camera amp;mdash; the viewer amp;mdash; to explain how KIVA differs from other non-profit organizations. For one thing, Jessica says, KIVA lenders can truly connect with borrowers and get to know them, which fundamentally changes the experience from one based on pity to one based on mutual respect. KIVA lenders amp;mdash; regular people, like you and me amp;mdash; arenamp;rsquo;t giving away their money with little to ... 2011-02-16 10:23:24
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-karen-armstrong-ted-talk-twleve-steps-compassionate.html A few weeks ago, religion expert Karen Armstrong released Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life, the book which sprang from her winning a TED Prize in 2007. The TED Prize winner spends the next year or so amp;mdash; with the help of TED amp;mdash; promoting an idea worth spreading. Armstrongamp;rsquo;s idea is that everyone should be more compassionate, that we should make religion a force for harmony, especially in these contentious, often violent, and deeply divisive times. Accepting her ... 2011-02-16 10:09:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-shane-gibson-top-10-social-media-donts.html Shane Gibson is one of the most trusted social media speakers today. Drawing on his extensive sales background, Shane built his own business using social media and realized that it was being misused by the majority of companies. He then set out to help other businesses utilize social media as more than just a marketing tool. He has written or co-written several books on social media, including the excellent Sociable! Shane differentiates himself from hundreds of other self-proclaimed amp;l... 2011-02-15 11:01:13
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-just-kids-national-book-critics-circle-nomination.html After winning the National Book Award and landing on countless amp;ldquo;Best of 2010amp;rdquo; lists, Patti Smithamp;rsquo;s Just Kids has just been named as a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award in the autobiography category. Serving as a snapshot amp;mdash; as a faded but still vivid Polaroid amp;mdash; of the New York City art scene of the late 1960amp;rsquo;s and amp;rsquo;70s, Just Kids is Pattiamp;rsquo;s love letter to the immortal city and the lost friend (Robert Map... 2011-02-15 11:00:32
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-alex-steffen-worldchanging-2.0-release.html A new edition of Worldchanging amp;mdash; edited by sustainability speaker Alex Steffen amp;mdash; is already the #1 environmental book at Amazon.com, based on pre-orders alone. The demand is that high. This second edition of Steffenamp;rsquo;s monumental anthology, with a deep focus on cities, promises to be nothing less than amp;ldquo;the global sustainability movement redefined.amp;rdquo; Besides reworking the now-iconic cover amp;mdash; which swaps out mint green for a vibrant orange, ... 2011-02-15 10:49:12
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-drew-dudley-mental-health.html Below are some very personal paragraphs from mental health speaker Drew Dudley. Itamp;rsquo;s an outline for his keynote speech on living with bipolar disorder amp;mdash; a powerful, myth-clearing talk about what itamp;rsquo;s like to be one of the millions of Canadians who struggle with mental health. Before delving in, though, some context. Hereamp;rsquo;s how we came to know Drew: At TEDxToronto last year, Drew stepped onto the stage and delivered a blistering talk. He wasnamp;rsquo;t th... 2011-02-14 11:06:22
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-blake-mycoskie-celebrity-golf-tournament.html TOMS Shoes founder and Lavin speaker Blake Mycoskie is one of the most magnetic social entrepreneurs in the world today. His company famously gives away a pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair it sells; it recently passed the one million shoe milestone. Blakeamp;rsquo;s jam-packed schedule includes running the company (which Fast Company recently ranked alongside Apple and Nike in a survey of best retail companies), helping organize its famous shoe drops, and making countless media... 2011-02-14 11:03:36
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-john-elder-robison-discover-science-ingenious-minds.html Author, mechanic, designer, photographer, speaker amp;mdash; these are just a few words that could describe John Elder Robison. The Look Me in the Eye author runs a multi-million dollar car specialty shop and a successful photography business. Heamp;rsquo;s designed guitars for KISS and toys for Milton Bradley. Oh, and by the way, heamp;rsquo;s done all of this with Aspergeramp;rsquo;s Syndrome. Robison will be profiled on Science Discoveryamp;rsquo;s Ingenious Minds on February 24th at 8pm ... 2011-02-14 11:01:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-mubarak-iran.html After the dramatic news today that Hosni Mubarak has stepped down following more than two weeks of mass protests, the eyes of the world now shift to their neighbors. Will the revolution in Egypt, which has now proven to be successful, create a domino effect in the region? In no place is the question more important than Iran, where both the Government and the supporters of the 2009 amp;ldquo;Green Revolutionamp;rdquo; are claiming the uprising as their own. Lavin speaker and Middle Eastern ex... 2011-02-11 11:14:05
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lev-grossman-raymond-kurzweil-profile.html In his profile for Time, Lavin speaker Lev Grossman asks: when does science fiction cease to be fiction, and start to become reality? Ray Kurzweil has devoted his life to this very question, and he reveals his beliefs and findings to Grossman in a fascinating profile. Kurzweilamp;rsquo;s main theory is simple: technological advancement is progressing exponentially, not linearly. Exponential growth is a difficult concept to grasp, especially when the curve gets so steep that growth beg... 2011-02-10 15:37:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonathan-haidt-psychology-of-politics.html As Jonathan Haidt argued convincingly in his TED Talk, the moral structure of liberals is actually different from that of conservatives amp;mdash; which helps explain a great deal about American political ideology. Now, the social psychology speaker is turning his research inward, onto his own field. In a recent article on Haidtamp;rsquo;s keynote at the Society for Personality and Social Psychology Conference, The New York Times looks at what Haidt believes to be an inherent liberal bias in... 2011-02-09 11:17:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-jacob-campaign-spokesperson.html In her book Power Friending, social media speaker Amber Macamp;nbsp;stresses the importance of authenticity. Her dedication to this trait, in fact, is one of the reasons JACOB has chosen her as one of three real women (meaning non-professional models)amp;nbsp;to staramp;nbsp;in their new spring campaign. The other reasons? Sheamp;rsquo;s driven, professional, and feminine. And speaking of authenticity, JACOB has announced they will not retouch any of the promotional photos!Whether sheamp;r... 2011-02-08 11:19:07
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-carl-hiaasen-NPR-interview.html Award-winning author and Lavin speaker Carl Hiaasen recently appeared on NPRamp;rsquo;s Wait Waitamp;hellip;Donamp;rsquo;t Tell Me! amp;mdash; the amp;ldquo;game showamp;rdquo; where famous guests answer random questions. It was a perfect platform for Carlamp;rsquo;s brand of observational humor. The Pulitzer Prize-nominated columnist talked about Floridaamp;rsquo;s innate weirdness, his problematic return to the game of golf, and a host of other quirky subjects. The quiz portion, though, f... 2011-02-07 11:36:43
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-stephen-prothero-iranian-revolution-egypt.html In his latest article for CNN.comamp;rsquo;s Belief Blog, religion speaker Stephen Prothero explains why the political uprising in Egypt is not similar to the Iranian Revolution of 1979, as some have suggested. Stephen lists four reasons: 1) Sunnis are not Shiites 2) El Baradei is not Khomeini 3) The Audio Cassete is not the Web 4) President Obama is not President Carter Read the full blog post HERE. As a speaker, Prothero talks about the lack of religious literacy that plagues the world, a... 2011-02-04 13:50:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jennifer-corriero-talks-technology-classroom.html Thisamp;nbsp;sign-of-the-times tweet amp;mdash; from education speaker Jennifer Corriero amp;mdash; just caught my eye: amp;ldquo;Teaching a teacher about twitter right now ;)amp;rdquo;. How veryamp;nbsp;2011! How very Jennifer Corriero!amp;nbsp;A world-renowned expert on new technologies andamp;nbsp;their role in the classroom, Jennifer is the co-founder ofamp;nbsp;TakingITGlobal, an acclaimed social networking site amp;mdash; one of the worldamp;rsquo;s first, by the way amp;mdash; that e... 2011-02-03 11:41:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-manjit-minhas-entrepreneur-advice.html Business speaker and beer mogul Manjit Minhas, dressed inamp;nbsp;a sharp Burberryamp;nbsp;trench coat,amp;nbsp;recently visited the Lavin Agencyamp;rsquo;s Toronto office. Covered extensively in the media, Manjit is something of an entrepreneurial phenomenon: She started her brewery, now the tenth largest in the world, at the age of 19, while studying petroleum engineering! In our conversation, the amp;ldquo;beer baronessamp;rdquo; talked warmly and openly about unique approaches to market... 2011-02-02 15:01:44
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-future-of-democracy-middle-east.html The protests in Cairo have added searing urgency to a topic that experts like Reza Aslan have been discussing for years: the future of democracy in the Middle East. Since 2005, Reza has been pushing for change in the region and, in fact, many of his books amp;mdash; including the seminal No god but God amp;mdash; predicted the confusion, the optimism, and the urgent sense of change that is now spreading across Egypt, Iran, and the Middle East. In a new talk, which gathers in up-to-the-minute ... 2011-02-02 14:39:13
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jack-goldstone-demographics-egypt-tunisia.html The powerful images of political upheaval being beamed into our homes from Tunisia and Egypt may be shocking to some, but not to Jack Goldstone. Thatamp;rsquo;s because Goldstone, a noted expert on political revolutions, saw these events coming. In his upcoming book, The New Population Bomb, Goldstone analyzes the drastic demographic shifts that will reshape large swaths of the world in the 21st Century. One of the major demographic shifts involves the unprecedented rise of large groups of h... 2011-01-31 15:10:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-amber-mac-margaret-atwood-angry-birds.html How cool would it be to play Angry Birds with Margaret Atwood? On Thursday, Amber Mac did just thatamp;nbsp;amp;mdash; spending some quality videogameamp;nbsp;time with the Booker-winning author who, at the age of 70, has embraced new mediumsamp;nbsp;such as Twitter with a surprising zeal. Atwood recently documented her adventures in the Twittersphere for the New York Review of Books blog. And, in fact,amp;nbsp;it was Amber amp;mdash; unofficial spokesperson for everything social media amp;mdash... 2011-01-28 15:25:49
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-sloane-crosley-kwame-anthony-PEN-american-center.html Just came across some cool photos of Lavin keynote speakers at PEN American Centeramp;rsquo;s New Member/New Books Party 2011. The event went down at Brooklynamp;rsquo;s PowerHouse Arena a few weeks back. Pictured above are the hilariousamp;nbsp;Sloane Crosley, whose latest essay collection is How Did You Get This Number, and Princeton Philosophy professor Kwame Anthony Appiah, who is also the current president of PEN American Center. Anthonyamp;rsquo;s latest book is The Honor Code: How Mora... 2011-01-28 15:16:27
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-reza-aslan-walls-and-bridges.html Franco-American relations have always been a bit chippy to say the least. The two nations are amongst the most influential in history and share the same sense of bravado and cultural pride, often reacting to one another like two positively charged magnets. Starting today, a yearlong initiative to try and mend the transatlantic intellectual chasm entitled amp;ldquo;Walls and Bridgesamp;rdquo; will begin in New York City and Lavin speaker Reza Aslan is among the American contingent of thinker... 2011-01-27 15:35:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-andrew-bacevich-military-spending.html While a large portion of Obamaamp;rsquo;s State of the Union address (and almost all of the Republican response) focused on Americaamp;rsquo;s massive debt, the idea of reducing American military spending only received scant mention in Obamaamp;rsquo;s speech, and none at all in the Republican rebuttal. In his article at The Huffington Post, Lavin speaker Andrew Bacevich, author of Washington Rules and The Limits of Power, looks at why Americaamp;rsquo;s military spending is considered a am... 2011-01-27 15:30:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-where-have-all-the-geniuses-gone.html In an article about President Obamaamp;rsquo;s State of the Union address, Jonah Lehreramp;nbsp;takes a fascinating look at the nature ofamp;nbsp;genius and innovationamp;nbsp;in the 21st century. In watching the speech, Jonah notes that Obama seeks to amp;ldquo;usher in a golden era of American ingenuity.amp;rdquo; Yet, ingenuity demands genius, which got Jonah to thinking: are there fewer individual geniuses today? And if so, why? As Jonah concludes amp;mdash; after comparing the public ... 2011-01-26 10:15:39
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-profiled-NOVA-PBS.html Neuroscience speakeramp;nbsp;David Eagleman amp;mdash; who released hisamp;nbsp;latest book, Why the Net Matters,amp;nbsp;asamp;nbsp;an iPad-only app amp;mdash; will be featured on PBSamp;rsquo;s venerable science show NOVA on February 2, 2011. An acclaimedamp;nbsp;neuroscientist, Davidamp;nbsp;has found inventive ways of studying brain functions, such asamp;nbsp;throwingamp;nbsp;test subjects (himself included)amp;nbsp;100 feet into freefall.amp;nbsp;Set your TiVos now! From NOVA: How does... 2011-01-26 09:50:50
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-mark-bittman-retiring-from-the-minimalist.html Food personality, writer, and speaker Mark Bittman is best known for his candor, his no-nonsense style and his simple recipes. Bittman is not a chef, and heamp;rsquo;s never worked in a restaurant. But as a television personality, as a columnist, as the author of several blockbuster cookbooks, he is helping change the way we eat. It was recently announced that as of February 6th, Bittman will be retiring his beloved New York Times column The Minimalist. Fear not, however - heamp;rsquo;s no... 2011-01-25 14:03:26
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-anthony-lacavera-launches-cause-marketing-campaign.html Anthony Lacavera, the entrepreneur and speaker who has revolutionized the Canadian wireless industry, believes that the way to attract customers isamp;nbsp;by representing something other than the status quo. Since its entry into the wireless market, that is what Wind Mobile, his company,amp;nbsp;has done. By actively engaging in conversations with their customers and championing top-down transparency, Lacavera and Windamp;nbsp;have proven that 21st century business is as much about creati... 2011-01-25 11:47:31
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-patti-smith-guardian-uk-interview.html In this weekendamp;rsquo;s Guardian, Patti Smith opened up on everything from irony to artistic integrity to motherhood amp;mdash; a nice thematic timeline cutting across her life and work. Here are some highlights: Patti on artistic integrity: When she was still stacking books a couple of people amp;ldquo;saw potential in me and offered me quite a bit of money to do records as early as 1971, amp;lsquo;72, but not in my own way. They would have a vision of me amp;ndash; a pop vision, or how ... 2011-01-25 11:38:10
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-bill-strickland-white-house-council-community-solutions.html For the past three decades, speaker Bill Strickland has been transforming the lives of thousands ofamp;nbsp;adults and teenagers through his innovative jobs training and education centers. Last seen in the public education documentary Waiting for Superman, Bill has just been chosen as one of the 25 members of the White House Council for Community Solutions. The Council, according to a White House statement, amp;ldquo;will provide advice to the President on the best ways to mobilize citizen... 2011-01-24 15:00:41
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jeff-chang-speaks-at-sundance.html At the Sundance Festival last week, Jeff Chang (Cantamp;rsquo; Stop Wonamp;rsquo;t Stop) led a rousing panel on social and political change that included, among others, Harry Belafonte and filmmaker Michael Moore. By way of an intro, Jeff said, amp;ldquo;As artists, we ask ourselves, what can art do? What can film do? What can culture do to change the country and change the world?amp;rdquo; At this point, he flashed a picture of an enormous Tahitian wave onto the screen. He asked the audie... 2011-01-24 14:18:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neri-oxman-fabricate-conference.html MIT design speaker Neri Oxman amp;mdash; whoamp;nbsp;just received a raveamp;nbsp;review from her speech atamp;nbsp;Bucknell University amp;mdash; will take to the stage again atamp;nbsp;Londonamp;rsquo;s Fabricate Conference in April. A brief description of Fabricate, here: Discussing the progressive integration of digital design with manufacturing processes, FABRICATE will bring together pioneers in design and making within architecture, construction, engineering, manufacturing, materials ... 2011-01-21 15:30:00
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-be-an-outsider-college.html In this exclusive Lavin video, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer explains to Willamette University studentsamp;nbsp;why broadening their intellectual horizons is one of the most important aspects of a college education. The keynote is cheekily titled amp;ldquo;Jonah Lehreramp;rsquo;s Metacognitive Guide to College,amp;rdquo;amp;nbsp;and it reminds us that, evenamp;nbsp;though itamp;rsquo;s important to find your passion, itamp;rsquo;s very easy to overspecialize and become trapped in an in... 2011-01-21 15:18:46
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-poor-didnt-cause-crisis.html Lavin speaker Daron Acemoglu, recently named by Foreign Policy as one of theamp;nbsp;worldamp;rsquo;samp;nbsp;top 100amp;nbsp;public intellectuals, has a way of sparking conversations aboutamp;nbsp;what makesamp;nbsp;some countries poor and others rich.amp;nbsp;In this a recent op-ed, former chief IMF economist Simon H. Johnson uses Acemoglu as his source to quell the myth that the pooramp;rsquo;s overaggressive borrowing was the main cause for the housing crash: From Project Syndica... 2011-01-21 15:11:30
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-karen-armstrong-twelve-steps-compassion-book.html Lavin speaker Karen Armstrong, one of the foremost experts on worldamp;nbsp;religions, has just released her new book, Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life amp;mdash; a hardbound manifestation of the journey she started, in 2007, when she won the prestigious TED Prize. Using heramp;nbsp;prize money,amp;nbsp;and working with input from some of the worldamp;rsquo;s major religious figures, Armstrong crafted an extraordinary document, The Charter for Compassion, which calls for us to restore amp... 2011-01-19 15:46:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jessica-jackley-ted-talk-poverty-money-world.html In her recent TED Talk, the wonderfully upbeatamp;nbsp;Jessica Jackley explains the motivations that led her to start KIVA, andamp;nbsp;tells us why the unique connections created between lenders and lendees separates microfinance from traditional charity. What makes microfinance different? Respect and love. Jessica explains that people living in poverty are not just looking for handouts. They simply want the same power that we so often take for granted: the ability to borrow money to buil... 2011-01-19 12:09:21
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neil-pasricha-three-a-of-awesome-ted-talk.html Neil Pasrichaamp;rsquo;s TEDxToronto talk, for which he received a standing ovation, has taken on a life of its own: itamp;rsquo;s justamp;nbsp;been picked upamp;nbsp;by the main TED site, which occassionally features a talk from the over 70 independently-produced TEDx events. At TED.com, Neil joins other Lavin keynote speakersamp;nbsp;such as Steven Pinker, Karen Armstrong, and E.O. Wilson. Neilamp;rsquo;s talk, below, centers onamp;nbsp;his three Aamp;rsquo;s of Awesome amp;mdash; Attitude,... 2011-01-18 12:16:42
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-valentino-achak-deng-school-sudan.html Last month, George Clooney visited Valentino Dengamp;rsquo;s Marial Bai Secondary School in Southern Sudan to highlight the Sudanese referendum. (Video of Clooneyamp;rsquo;s visit, here.) The historic referendum, which began on January 9th, could finallyamp;nbsp;lead to Southern Sudanamp;rsquo;s independence from the north after decades ofamp;nbsp;devastating violence. The Times writes that, amp;ldquo;The south is expected to vote by as much as 99 percent for secession, splitting the largest c... 2011-01-13 12:43:55
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-patti-smith-just-kids-dowd-review.html Lavin speaker Patti Smith, as Iamp;rsquo;m sure youamp;rsquo;ve heard, won the 2010 National Book Award for Non-Fiction in November. In her acceptance speech, Patti implored us to not give up on the book as a physical object: amp;ldquo;There is nothing in our material world more beautiful.amp;rdquo; Patti won for Just Kids, a memoir of her adventures as a struggling artist in New York Cityamp;nbsp;during the 1960s and amp;rsquo;70s. Itamp;rsquo;s aamp;nbsp;truly engrossing read. More than ... 2011-01-11 12:56:17
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-the-truth-wears-off-the-new-yorker.html Weeks after we first wrote about it, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehreramp;rsquo;s article amp;ldquo;The Truth Wears Offamp;rdquo; is stillamp;nbsp;the #1amp;nbsp;most-readamp;nbsp;on The New Yorkeramp;rsquo;s website. The piece is a stunning take on the scientific methodamp;mdash;and why it may not be as perfect as we think. In a follow-up blog post, Lehrer answers some of the responses to his article and goes deeper into his views on the scientific method: These questions have no easy answ... 2011-01-04 14:10:53
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-sloane-crosley-the-late-late-show-video.html Watching this video of Sloane Crosley and Craig Ferguson makes me happy. Simple as that. Sloane visits The Late Late Show to discussamp;nbsp;her second New York Times bestselling collection of essays,amp;nbsp;How Did You Get This Number. The only catch is that Ferguson amp;mdash; who is clearly enamored with Sloane amp;mdash; hasnamp;rsquo;t read it. At least not yet. Hereamp;rsquo;s the video: ten minutes of sardonic wits-matching and couldnamp;rsquo;t-fake-it-if-you-tried host-guest chemist... 2010-12-24 14:17:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-planning-the-perfect-city.html In this weekamp;rsquo;s New York Times Magazine, Jonah Lehrer has a big piece on why some cities fail and some succeed, and why amp;mdash; with striking consistency amp;mdash; cities of similar sizes are exactly the same in most meaningful ways. Jonahamp;rsquo;s article is actually a profile of Geoffrey West, a physicist who claims to have solved the puzzle of how cities work. Thereamp;rsquo;s a bit of the Jane Jacobs about West. But whereas Jacobs used (for the most part) intuitive observ... 2010-12-22 14:36:59
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-cities-complex-systems-videos.html Jonah Lehrer's article about urbanism and complex systems,amp;nbsp;over a year in the making, ran in The New York Times Magazine this week. Last October, I sat down with Jonah (How We Decide) for a long interview at the Toronto airport. We shot the whole thing in a badly-lit hotel roomamp;nbsp;thatamp;nbsp;looked out onto aamp;nbsp;half empty Parkamp;rsquo;N Fly parking lot. (Thereamp;rsquo;s your urbanism!) During the interview, Jonah was especially excited to discussamp;nbsp;the work ofamp... 2010-12-22 14:25:47
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lisa-shannon-congo-women.html Instead of gifts, Lavin is once again giving a donation to an organization close to the heart of one of our speakers. This year, weamp;rsquo;ve chosen Lisa Shannonamp;rsquo;s Run for Congo Women. Lisa is RFCWamp;rsquo;s engaging, upbeat, and tireless founder. Her personal transformation amp;mdash; from amp;ldquo;bystander to activist,amp;rdquo; in the words of John Prendergast amp;mdash; has not been without its sacrifices. In her early thirties, she gave up her fiancamp;eacute; and success... 2010-12-21 14:46:46
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-stephen-prothero-religion-american-politics.html Hereamp;rsquo;s aamp;nbsp;new video of Lavin speaker Stephen Protheroamp;nbsp;discussing religionamp;rsquo;s iron gripamp;nbsp;onamp;nbsp;American politics. Juxtaposing the Presidential campaigns of John Kerry (2004) and Barack Obama (2008), he shows us how religion has come to absolutely dominate political discourse, and why amp;mdash; given the low level of religious literacy among Americansamp;mdash;this is a dangerous thing. Newsweek calls Prothero (Religious Literacy, God is Not One) am... 2010-12-20 15:16:03
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-new-yorker-article.html Nathan Wolfe is working to thwart the next worldwide pandemic before it strikes. This week, The New Yorker profiles Wolfe as part ofamp;nbsp;its 2010 World Changers issue. (Nathan was also a 2009amp;nbsp;Rolling Stone Agent of Changeamp;mdash;you can start to see a pattern emerge.) According to The New Yorker, Nathan looks amp;ldquo;studiously disheveled,amp;rdquo; like a cross between amp;ldquo;a pirate and a graduate student.amp;rdquo; But thatamp;rsquo;s cool, because heamp;rsquo;s also amp... 2010-12-17 15:25:16
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jason-maeda-art-science-innovation.html We stumbledamp;nbsp;uponamp;nbsp;some ofamp;nbsp;John Maedaamp;rsquo;s classic design work today, over at Fast Company. One of the worldamp;rsquo;s most famous designers, and ever prescient, Johnamp;rsquo;s been preaching some form of amp;ldquo;design thinkingamp;rdquo; for many years now. As a keynote speaker, and as President of the Rhode Island School of Design, he talks about a subject close to his heart: the crucial role of the arts in education. Our currentamp;nbsp;educational system,... 2010-12-16 15:43:02
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-nathan-wolfe-we-dont-know-enough-microbiology.html Humans know very little about most of the natural world, says Nathan Wolfe.amp;nbsp;But this isnamp;rsquo;t a cause for concern. It should be seen asamp;nbsp;a call to arms for further discovery. Hereamp;rsquo;s Nathan, in an exclusive Lavin video,amp;nbsp;wrapping up one of his typically fantastic speeches, imploring the young scientists in the audience to go forth and explore. Nathan heads up the Global Viral Forecasting Initiative, where he works to stop the next pandemic before it happe... 2010-12-15 16:21:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-neri-oxman-redesigning-modern-world.html Neri Oxman is one of the coolest people Iamp;nbsp;know. Everyone that I explain her work to responds in the same way: with follow-up Web browsing to learn all they can about the woman who designed a chair that moves with your body weight! That chair amp;mdash; called Beast (photo below),amp;nbsp;a stunning mix of Eamesian utility, technological sophistication, and fine art aesthetics amp;mdash; draws its inspiration from the internal structure of bones and other biological forms. Itamp;rsquo;... 2010-12-15 16:06:11
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-lev-grossman-time-magazine-most-talked-about.html If you are an important person and Lev Grossman is writing a profile on you, thereamp;rsquo;s actually a pretty good chance youamp;rsquo;ll end up on the cover of TIME magazine. In fact, your very appearance on the cover amp;mdash; and all the freighted significance that carries amp;mdash; may itself become news. Itamp;rsquo;s happened twice in recent months. First was Levamp;rsquo;s much publicized story on Jonathan Franzen, in which he declared Franzen amp;ldquo;The Great American Novelist.... 2010-12-15 15:48:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-jonah-lehrer-scientific-method-article.html The scientific method is supposed to be one of lifeamp;rsquo;s givens amp;mdash; an unassailable truth, like death and taxes. But just how perfect is it? In last weekamp;rsquo;s New Yorker, Jonah Lehrer wrote about troubling flaws in the scientific method,amp;nbsp;focusing on something called The Decline Effect. A number of scientists, it turns out, are having trouble replicating their results in follow-up experiments. Many results that are tested, proven, and accepted actually start to shri... 2010-12-14 09:07:54
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-daron-acemoglu-foreign-policy-100-global-thinkers.html MIT economistamp;nbsp;Daron Acemoglu has been named to Foreign Policyamp;rsquo;s list of 100 Global Thinkers, for amp;ldquo;showing that freedom is about more than markets.amp;rdquo; In their write-up, the FP editors stop just short of saying he will one day win a Nobel amp;mdash; a not unlikely outcome given that heamp;rsquo;s already won the John Bates Clark medal for top economist in the world under 40. (Basically, a ridiculously high proportion of Clark medal winners amp;mdash; Krugman, S... 2010-12-13 09:23:25
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-chuck-klosterman-jonathan-franzen-most-important-novelist.html Chuck Klosterman may be the most underrated profile writer in America. (Though maybe heamp;rsquo;s properly rated.) Regardless, hereamp;rsquo;s another winner: a GQ profile of Jonathan Franzen that, like most of his writing, slowly expands to includeamp;nbsp;a plethora ofamp;nbsp;other subjects, including what it feels like to live in our accelerated culture amp;mdash; a classic Klosterman theme. From Chuck: There are at least four ways an author can become semi-important: He (or she) can h... 2010-12-10 10:42:15
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-kwame-anthony-appiah-why-I-nominated-xiaobo.html In Oslo today, the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to writer Liu Xiaobo, who was unable to attend the ceremonies due to his ongoingamp;nbsp;imprisonment by the Chinese government.amp;nbsp;Anamp;nbsp;empty chairamp;nbsp;sat onamp;nbsp;stage, pointedly, representing his absence.amp;nbsp;Below isamp;nbsp;an excerpt from a much-circulated letter that Kwame Anthony Appiah amp;mdash; acting as President of PEN American Center amp;mdash; sent to the Nobel committee, nominating Liu. Itamp;rsquo... 2010-12-10 10:34:01
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-david-eagleman-why-the-net-matters-ipad-app.html Non-fiction fans, you knew this day was coming. And now itamp;rsquo;s here. David Eagleman amp;mdash; novelist, neuroscientist, and Lavin speaker amp;mdash; has written his new book, Why the Net Matters: How the Internet Will Save Civilization, as an iPad-only app. Mind-blowing video demo above.Read more about keynote speaker David Eagleman... 2010-12-10 10:17:52
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http://www.thelavinagency.com//blog-steven-pinker-my-genomic-self.html Would you bare your soul for science? Steven Pinker did.amp;nbsp;Literally. As part of a wide-ranging story on consumer genetics that he wrote for The Newamp;nbsp;York Times Magazine, Pinker allowed his genome to be sequenced amp;mdash; with the results later posted on the Internet! A Harvard psychologist and Lavinamp;nbsp;keynoteamp;nbsp;speaker, Pinker says weamp;rsquo;ll soon be able to amp;ldquo;identify the actual genes that incline a person to being nasty or nice, an egghead or a doer, a... 2010-12-09 10:50:00