On any given day, Bryan Welch can be found spending his early morning hours tending to his cattle on his farm near Lawrence, Kan., his lunchtime polishing an essay for Utne Reader at his Topeka office, and his evening at a Hollywood cocktail reception for the launch of a green media initiative. Welch and his […] Read more

Donald Altman, MA, LPC, is a praticing psychotherapist, vice president of The Center for Mindful Eating (TCME.org), and adjunct professor at Portland State University and Lewis and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling. The author of The Joy Compass, The Mindfulness Code, One-Minute Mindfulness and Meal by Meal, among other books, he leads worshops around the country […] Read more

Tom Morris has become one of the most active public philosophers in the world due to his unusual ability to bring the greatest wisdom of the past into the challenges of the present. A native of Durham, North Carolina and a Distinguished Alumnus of Durham Academy, Tom was a Morehead Scholar at the University of […] Read more

Mark Boyle aka "The Moneyless Man" is a writer, activist, and founder of the website theFreeconomyCommunity. Boyle's written work appears regularly on the Freeconomy Blog and in The Guardian. In his new book The Moneyless Man: A Year of Freeconomic Living, Boyle chronicles his experiences with living without money. Photograph: Read more

Arthur Zajonc is professor of physics at Amherst College, where he has taught since 1978. He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in physics from the University of Michigan. He has been visiting professor and research scientist at the Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris, the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics, and the universities of Rochester, […] Read more

Tim Wu is a writer and a professor at Columbia Law School where he teaches copyright and communications. In some of his spare time, he is the chair of media reform organization Free Press, and he writes for Slate magazine (some here), on law, media, culture, travel, and dumplings.  He has also written for some other […] Read more

Tara Gentile empowers passion-driven entrepreneurs to find the profit in producing the work of their true spirit. Find her unique philosophy on her blog and join the conversation about creative economy on her daily zine, Scoutie Girl. Photograph: Read more

Our brains can allow us to share the physical sensations that other people experience. Neuroscientist Vilayanur Ramachandran calls them "empathy neurons". His studies reveal that we're hard-wired for human connection. Read more

Haider Al-Mosawi writes about holistic growth through balanced living at PersonalGrowthMap.com, and believes that we must embrace being human – with all that it entails – in order to lead meaningful and harmonious lives. You can also connect with Haider on Twitter (@haideralmosawi).  Photograph: Read more

 Dr. Ellen Langer is a professor in the Psychology Department at Harvard University. Her books written for general and academic readers include Mindfulness and The Power of Mindful Learning, and the forthcoming Mindful Creativity.   Dr. Langer has described her work on the illusion of control, aging, decision-making, and mindfulness theory in over 200 research […] Read more