Josh Waitzkin is an American chess prodigy, international martial arts champion, and author. He was the basis for the book and film “Searching for Bobby Fischer”, which portrayed his childhood rise to the top of the competitive chess world. Waitzkin has since become a successful author, public speaker, and entrepreneur.
Waitzkin was born in New York City and began playing chess at the age of six. He quickly rose to prominence, becoming the youngest U.S. Chess Federation master in history at the age of nine. He went on to become the National Chess Champion three years in a row, and at the age of twelve he achieved the rank of International Master.
In addition to his success in the competitive chess world, Waitzkin also trained and competed in martial arts. After becoming the National Tai Chi Push Hands Champion and the National Tai Chi Chuan Champion, he went on to win the World Championship of Tai Chi Push Hands in 1997.
Waitzkin retired from competitive chess at the age of sixteen to pursue other interests. He attended Columbia University, where he majored in English and studied philosophy and psychology. After college, Waitzkin immersed himself in the world of poker. He became a professional poker player and won the 2006 World Series of Poker.&nbsp;
In addition to his professional successes, Waitzkin is an accomplished author. He wrote the book “The Art of Learning”, which explores his journey to mastery in both chess and martial arts. He also wrote “The Art of Learning: A Journey in the Pursuit of Excellence” and “The Art of Learning Journal”. Waitzkin has been featured in numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times.&nbsp;
Today, Waitzkin is a sought-after public speaker and consultant, as well as a business coach. He has spoken at a variety of conferences and events, including TEDx and the World Economic Forum. In addition to his public speaking engagements, Waitzkin is the co-founder of the Waitzkin Institute, which provides consulting and coaching services to individuals and organizations. He also serves as the chairman of the board of directors for the International Chess Federation.&nbsp;
Josh Waitzkin is an inspirational figure who has achieved success in multiple fields. His dedication to excellence, combined with his ability to adapt to new challenges, has enabled him to achieve a level of success rarely seen in any single field.

Josh

He has mesmerized and inspired nearly three thousand audiences around the globe since the release of his New York Times best-selling book in 2004. Millions have experienced the 90 Minutes in Heaven story in person, on television, radio, and in print media. Don Piper has sold over 5 million copies of his books in 40 languages. His first book, 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death and Life, remained on the New York Times best-seller list for nearly four years! This book, from Baker Publishing Group's Fleming Revell, is widely considered to be a landmark book that has led to a renaissance in the interest of Heaven.
Following his radio and television broadcasting career, Don Piper pursued a calling that he had had in his life since adolescence and became an ordained Christian minister. During his service as a pastor, in fact, on his way to church, Don Piper was killed in a horrific car crash in 1989. A pastor who was on that lonely highway behind him felt called by God to pray over Don's dead body and did so for ninety minutes. Others who were told of the accident but not of Don's death also prayed. After an hour and a half, as the pastor prayed over Don's lifeless body, Don began to sing a song!
Don Piper returned from the gates of Heaven to endure 13 excruciating months of hospitalization, 34 major surgeries, including some never before attempted in the United States, and years of painful therapy and rehabilitation. He now shares his incredible lessons of answered prayer, miracles, overcoming tragedy, pain, and loss, and the reality of Heaven. Indeed, each time Don rises to speak, people are astounded that he can even walk onto the platform. But he does, and those in attendance are simply not the same after he concludes his presentation.
Around the world, Don Piper has shared the story of hope and healing. He's appeared on NBC's Today Show, Dateline NBC, ABC's Nightline, FOX Network's Sean Hannity's America, and The O'Reilly Factor. A frequent guest on Trinity Broadcasting's Praise the Lord and Christian Broadcasting Network's 700 Club, Don has also appeared on D. James Kennedy's Coral Ridge Hour and Life Today with James Robison, among many other programs. He's also been interviewed by literally hundreds of radio stations, newspapers, and magazines all over the world.
Don has released three additional books: Daily Devotionals: 90 Readings for Hope and Healing in 2006; Heaven Is Real: Lessons on Earthly Joy in 2007; and Getting to Heaven: Departing Instructions For Your Life Now in 2011, all from Penguin-Putnam. Don Piper is known around the world as "The Minister of Hope." He founded Don Piper Ministries, a 501-c3 entity, in 2007 to channel revenues from book sales and speaking income to help over 40 ministries here and abroad.
Don Piper travels from his home in Pasadena, Texas. He has been married to the former Eva Pentecost since 1973. They are the parents of three children, a daughter Nicole and twin sons, Chris and Joe. Eva and Don have two grandchildren, Carlee and Will. He walks today as a result of miraculous and medically unexplainable events. He has inspired millions, and if you are led to invite him to share with your event, he will lift your audience to a new level of hope and determination!

Megan Phelps-Roper is an American political activist who is formerly a member of, and spokesperson for, the Westboro Baptist Church, a Calvinist Christian sect categorized as a hate group. Her mother is Shirley Phelps-Roper, and her grandfather is the church's founder, Fred Phelps. She grew up in Topeka, Kansas, in a compound with other members of the church.&nbsp;
As a child, she was taught the Westboro Baptist Church doctrine and participated in the church's pickets against homosexuality, the American response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, and the funerals of soldiers who died in the War in Afghanistan and the War in Iraq.&nbsp;
In 2009, she became active on Twitter to preach the church's doctrine. Phelps-Roper began to doubt her beliefs when Twitter users pointed out contradictions in the Westboro Baptist Church's doctrine, and when elders changed the church's decision-making process.
Phelps-Roper left the church in 2012 after she was unable to reconcile her doubts with her beliefs. Following her departure, Phelps-Roper became a prominent critic of the church's philosophy and practices. She travels around the world to speak about her experience in the church and advocates dialogue between groups with conflicting views. In 2019, she released the memoir Unfollow: A Journey from Hatred to Hope.
Megan Phelps-Roper was born in 1985 or 1986, and is the eldest daughter of Shirley Phelps-Roper and Brent Roper. Her grandfather was Fred Phelps, who founded the Westboro Baptist Church, a Christian sect based on the members' Calvinist interpretation of the bible and categorized by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group.&nbsp;
Her parents taught her the doctrine of the Westboro Baptist Church sect from an early age. She grew up on a compound in Topeka, Kansas, that was owned by other church members. When Phelps-Roper was 13, her grandfather baptized her into the Westboro Baptist Church.
After graduating from Washburn University, Phelps-Roper worked at her family's law firm, Phelps Chartered, as a business administrator. She also appeared as a regular guest on the Kansas City morning show Afentra's Big Fat Morning Buzz. In 2011, Phelps-Roper appeared in Louis Theroux's documentary America's Most Hated Family in Crisis, in which she described her contact with four Dutch filmmakers.&nbsp;
After watching the documentary, her father insisted that she block the filmmakers on Twitter and limit her time on the social media platform. Phelps-Roper complied, reasoning that removing her focus from earthly matters would increase her spirituality. During this period, her mother was accused of not following church doctrine, and Phelps-Roper replaced her as the scheduler for the church's picketing demonstrations.

Megan

Ricardo Semler is a Brazilian businessman and author. He is the CEO and majority owner of Semco Partners, a Brazilian manufacturing company. He is known for his unorthodox management style, which emphasizes worker autonomy and democracy in the workplace.
Ricardo Semler began his career at Semco, a Brazilian manufacturing company founded by his father. He took over as CEO in 1980 at the age of 24. He implemented several unconventional management practices, such as giving employees autonomy and decision-making power and implementing a profit-sharing program. These practices increased productivity and employee satisfaction, and Semco's revenue and profits grew significantly under Semler's leadership.
In addition to his role at Semco, Semler is also an author and speaker on management and organizational culture. He has written several books, including "Maverick: The Success Story Behind the World's Most Unusual Workplace," which became an international best-seller. He is also a frequent keynote speaker at business conferences and has been interviewed by numerous media outlets.
Ricardo Semler is known for his philanthropy and social activism. He has been involved in several initiatives throughout his career, including founding the Semco Foundation, which supports a variety of social causes such as education and healthcare.
He also supports organizations that promote sustainable business practices and corporate social responsibility. He is a founding member of the Brazilian Business Council for Sustainable Development. In addition, he has served on the boards of several other organizations, such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Brazilian Association for Corporate Governance.
In addition, Semler has also been a vocal advocate for education reform and strongly supports alternative education models. He has also been involved in several initiatives to promote entrepreneurship and innovation, particularly in Brazil.
Overall, Semler's philanthropy is driven by his belief in the power of business to create positive social change. However, he has also been vocal that companies should be held accountable for their impact on society and the environment.

Ricardo

Antonio García Martínez is an entrepreneur, investor, writer, and tech industry veteran. He has had a long and varied career, beginning in the early days of the dot-com boom and continuing today. Early in his career, Antonio worked in a variety of roles at companies such as Apple, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs.
At Apple, Antonio held a variety of positions, including working on the retail side of the business, developing software, and helping to launch the Apple Store. At Microsoft, Antonio was involved in the development of a number of products, including Windows 95 and Windows 98. After leaving Microsoft, Antonio founded Adify, a venture-backed ad network that WPP eventually acquired.
More recently, Antonio has become an investor, author, and thought leader in the technology and venture capital industries. He has invested in a variety of startups, including Twitter, Uber, and Stripe. He is also the author of the book Chaos Monkeys: Obscene Fortune and Random Failure in Silicon Valley, which chronicles his experiences in the tech industry.
In addition to his work as an investor and author, Antonio is a sought-after speaker and thought leader. He has appeared on the TED stage, as well as at conferences including SXSW, DLD, and TechCrunch Disrupt. Antonio is often called upon to provide his expertise and insight into the tech industry, as well as his views on the current state of venture capital and startups.
Overall, Antonio García Martínez is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, author, and thought leader. His wealth of experience and knowledge from working in and around the tech industry, combined with his excellent communication skills, make him a highly sought-after individual in the industry.

Antonio García

Mindy Kaling is an American actress, comedian, and writer best known for her work on the hit NBC sitcom “The Office” and the Fox comedy “The Mindy Project.” Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in 1979, Kaling was raised in a close-knit family of Indian immigrants. She attended Dartmouth College, where she studied playwriting and acting and graduated in 2001.
Kaling’s career began in the comedy world, writing for shows such as “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” and “The Simpsons.” She eventually joined the writing staff of “The Office” and became a co-executive producer during its final season. She also starred as the character Kelly Kapoor, a position and character she was praised for pioneering as a South Asian actress.
In 2012, Kaling created and starred in the Fox comedy series “The Mindy Project.” As the show’s star and executive producer, Kaling was praised for her work in creating a series that featured a strong female lead, a rarity in the television industry. The series ran for six seasons, with Kaling earning multiple awards and nominations for her writing and acting.
Kaling’s success has extended beyond television, as she has written and starred in two feature films, “The Night Before” and “Late Night.” She also wrote and starred in the Netflix series “Never Have I Ever” and wrote the best-selling memoir “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?”
In recent years, Kaling has become a voice for female empowerment and racial representation in Hollywood. She has spoken out about the need for more diverse representation in the entertainment industry and works to ensure her own projects reflect these values. Kaling is a role model for women around the world and proves that hard work and dedication can lead to success.

Mindy

Lena Dunham is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is known as the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series Girls (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Awards. Dunham also directed several episodes of Girls and became the first woman to win the Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Comedy Series.&nbsp;
Prior to Girls, Dunham wrote, directed, and starred in the semi-autobiographical independent film Tiny Furniture (2010), for which she won an Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay. Her second feature film, Sharp Stick, written and directed by Dunham, was released in 2022. Her third film, Catherine Called Birdy, had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 12, 2022.&nbsp;
It was released in a limited release on September 23, 2022, by Amazon Studios, prior to streaming on Prime Video on October 7, 2022. In 2013, Dunham was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. In 2014, Dunham released her first book, Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned."&nbsp;
In 2015, along with Girls showrunner Jenni Konner, Dunham created the publication Lenny Letter, a feminist online newsletter. The publication ran for three years before folding in late 2018. Dunham briefly appeared in films such as Supporting Characters and This Is 40 (both 2012) and Happy Christmas (2014).&nbsp;
She voiced Mary in the 2016 film My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. On television, aside from Girls, she has played guest roles in Scandal and The Simpsons (both 2015). In 2017, she portrayed Valerie Solanas in American Horror Story: Cult. Dunham's work, as well as her outspoken presence on social media and in interviews, have attracted significant controversy, praise, criticism, and media scrutiny throughout her career.

Lena

Winston Churchill was a British statesman and politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century, leading Britain through its darkest hour during World War II.
Churchill was born in 1874 and was educated at Harrow and Sandhurst. He began his career in the British Army and later transitioned into politics, serving as a Member of Parliament for over 60 years. He held several government positions throughout his career, including as the First Lord of the Admiralty, Minister of Munitions, and Secretary of State for War.
During World War II, Churchill served as Prime Minister and played a key role in leading Britain through the war. He made powerful speeches that rallied the nation and inspired the British people to keep fighting, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. His speeches are widely considered to be some of the greatest in history, with phrases such as "Never give in, never give in, never, never, never" and "We shall fight on the beaches" becoming famous.
One of Churchill's greatest achievements as Prime Minister was his strong alliance with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. Together, they led the Allied powers to victory over Nazi Germany.
After World War II, Churchill served as Prime Minister again from 1951 to 1955 but was defeated in the general election. He remained an active Member of Parliament until 1964 and was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1953 for his six-volume memoir of the war. He died in 1965 at the age of 90.
Churchill's legacy continues to this day, with many seeing him as a symbol of leadership, courage, and determination in the face of adversity. He is often ranked as one of the greatest British Prime Ministers, and his speeches are still studied and admired by people all over the world.
Winston Churchill was a prolific writer throughout his life, publishing books on a wide range of subjects. One of his most notable literary achievements is his six-volume memoir, The Second World War, which he wrote during and after the war. The work, which was published between 1948 and 1954, provides a detailed and personal account of the war from Churchill's perspective, including his thoughts and decisions as Prime Minister. The memoirs were international bestsellers and were praised for their historical accuracy and Churchill's literary skill.
In addition to his memoirs, Churchill also wrote several other books throughout his life. Some of his most notable works include:
<ul>
<li>"The World Crisis" (1923-1931): A five-volume work that covers the period of Churchill's life from 1911 to 1928 and includes his thoughts on World War I and its aftermath.</li>
<li>"My Early Life" (1930): An autobiographical work that covers Churchill's childhood and early career.</li>
<li>"A History of the English-Speaking Peoples" (1956-1958): A four-volume work that covers the history of the English-speaking peoples from the Anglo-Saxon period to the end of the 19th century.</li>
<li>"Painting as a Pastime" (1948): A book in which Churchill reflects on his hobby of painting and its therapeutic effects.</li>
</ul>
Churchill's books have been widely read and praised for their historical accuracy and literary merit. They provide valuable insights into the mind of one of the most important figures of the 20th century and continue to be studied and admired today.

Winston

Arianna Huffington is a Greek-American author, syndicated columnist, and businesswoman. She was born Arianna Stassinopoulos on July 15, 1950, in Athens, Greece. She moved to the United Kingdom with her family when she was 16 and later studied economics at Girton College, Cambridge.
After graduating, Huffington began her career as a writer and commentator and was a prominent conservative commentator in the UK during the 1970s and 1980s. She later moved to the United States, where she continued her career as a political commentator and became a naturalized citizen in 1990.
In 2005, Huffington co-founded The Huffington Post, a news and opinion website, with Kenneth Lerer and Jonah Peretti. AOL acquired the site in 2011 for $315 million. She served as the site's editor-in-chief from 2005 to 2016.
Huffington is also a prolific author and has written several books, including "The Sleep Revolution," "Thrive," and "The Fourth Instinct: The Call of the Soul." She is also a public speaker and has delivered speeches on various topics, including well-being, media, and politics.
In 2016, Huffington resigned as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post to focus on her health and wellness startup, Thrive Global, which focuses on reducing workplace stress and burnout. She is still the CEO of Thrive Global.
AOL acquired the Huffington Post in 2011 for $315 million. In 2016, she stepped down as editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post to focus on her new startup, Thrive Global, which aims to end the "epidemic of stress and burnout" by offering corporate wellness programs and products. Huffington is also an author, having written 14 books, including the best-seller "Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder."

Arianna

Peter Benedict Holmes (born March 30, 1979) is an American comedian, actor, writer, producer, and podcaster. Musings on spirituality and religion are frequent themes in his works.
Holmes gained recognition in the early 2010s as a stand-up comic, during which he launched his long-running podcast. You Made It Weird (2011–present) released his first comedy special and worked as an actor and television writer. Subsequently, he began his own late-night talk show, The Pete Holmes Show (2013–2014), which ran on TBS for two seasons in the time slot after Conan, a frequent champion of his work. During the decade, he released four comedy specials: Impregnated with Wonder (2011), Nice Try, The Devil (2013), Faces and Sounds (2016), and Dirty Clean (2018).
Holmes is most widely known for starring and creating the semi-autobiographical scripted comedy series Crashing, which aired on HBO for three seasons (2017–2019). He has also worked as a voice actor and most recently starred in the 2022 CBS sitcom How We Roll.
Peter Benedict Holmes was born in Boston on March 30, 1979, the son of a Lithuanian refugee mother and an American father of Irish descent. He has a brother who composes music under the name Dr. Holmes. He grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he graduated from Lexington High School. Holmes attended Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, where he graduated with a degree in English and Communications in 2001. During this time, he played in a punk rock band and participated in an improvisational comedy troupe called The Sweaty-Toothed Madmen.
Partly at the behest of his mother, he had plans to become a youth pastor. This gave way to public speaking, and his love for comedy and his devolving faith in God eventually won over his need to preach; he now refers to himself as "Christ-leaning" or jokingly a "hooraytheist". Finding little success as a comedian in his home state, he lived in Sleepy Hollow, New York, before moving to Chicago and then Los Angeles.
Holmes has listed Weird Al, Brian Regan, Sinbad, Steve Martin, Gallagher, Jackie Martling, Conan O'Brien, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Farley, Dane Cook, and Ray Romano as his biggest comedic influences. Holmes first married when he was 22 years old; he divorced when he was 28. In late 2017, he married Valerie Chaney. Their daughter was born in September 2018.

Pete

Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson, commonly known as Richard Branson, is a British business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and chairman of the Virgin Group, which comprises more than 400 companies.
Branson was born in 1950 in Surrey, England, and began his career as a young entrepreneur, starting a student magazine called Student at the age of 16. He then went on to launch a record store, Virgin Records, which eventually became a record label and grew into the Virgin Group. The Virgin brand now encompasses a diverse range of industries, including aviation, hospitality, health, and renewable energy.
Branson is well-known for his adventurous and ambitious spirit, having made several attempts to break world records and make ambitious technological advancements. In 1986, he made an unsuccessful attempt to circumnavigate the globe in a hot air balloon. He later succeeded in this goal in 1991 and also set a new record for the fastest Atlantic Ocean crossing in a powerboat.
In addition to his business ventures, Branson is also actively involved in philanthropy and social causes. He is a strong advocate for environmental sustainability and has invested in a number of renewable energy projects through the Virgin Group. He also established the Virgin Unite foundation, which aims to make a positive impact on people and the planet by bringing together individuals, businesses, and non-profits to tackle social and environmental issues.
Branson is also known for his charismatic and flamboyant personality. He has been featured in numerous media outlets and is considered one of the most recognizable and respected entrepreneurs in the world. He has also been awarded several honors, including a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2000 for "services to entrepreneurship."
In summary, Richard Branson is a highly successful and influential British entrepreneur, philanthropist, and adventurer. He is the founder and chairman of the Virgin Group, a conglomerate of over 400 companies, and is well-known for his ambitious spirit, philanthropy, and environmental advocacy. His charismatic personality and media presence has made him one of the most recognizable business figures in the world.

Richard

Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood was an Anglo-American novelist, playwright, screenwriter, autobiographer, and diarist. His best-known works include Goodbye to Berlin, a semi-autobiographical novel that inspired the musical Cabaret; A Single Man, adapted as a film by Tom Ford in 2009; and Christopher and His Kind, a memoir which "carried him into the heart of the Gay Liberation movement."
Isherwood was born in 1904 on his family's estate in Cheshire near Stockport in northwest England. He was the elder son of Francis Edward Bradshaw Isherwood, known as Frank, a professional soldier in the York and Lancaster Regiment, and Kathleen Bradshaw Isherwood, nee Machell Smith, the only daughter of a successful wine merchant.
He was the grandson of John Henry Isherwood, squire of Marple Hall and Wyberslegh Hall, Cheshire, and he included among his ancestors the Puritan judge John Bradshaw, who signed the death warrant of King Charles I and served for two years as Lord President of the Council, effectively President of the English Republic.
Isherwood's father, Frank, was educated at the University of Cambridge, and Sandhurst Military Academy, fought in the Boer War, and was killed in the First World War. Isherwood's mother, Kathleen, was, through her mother, a member of the wealthy Greene brewing family of Greene King. Isherwood was a cousin of the novelist Graham Greene, who was also related to the brewing family. Frank and Kathleen christened their first son Christopher William Bradshaw Isherwood, which Isherwood simplified on becoming a United States citizen in 1946.
At Repton, his boarding school in Derbyshire, Isherwood met his lifelong friend Edward Upward, with whom he invented an imaginary English village called Mortmere, as related in his fictional autobiography, Lions and Shadows. He went up to Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, as a history scholar, wrote jokes and limericks on his second-year Tripos, and was asked to leave without a degree in 1925.
At Christmas 1925, he was reintroduced to a prep school friend, W. H. Auden. Through Auden, Isherwood met the younger poet, Stephen Spender, who printed Auden's first collection, Poems. Upward, Isherwood, Auden, and Spender were identified as the most exciting new literary group in England in the 1930s. Auden dubbed Isherwood the novelist in what came to be known as the Auden Group or Auden Generation. With Cecil Day-Lewis and Louis MacNeice, Auden and Spender later attracted the name the MacSpaunday Poets, with which Isherwood is also associated.
After leaving Cambridge, Isherwood worked as a private tutor and later as secretary to a string quartet led by the violinist André Mangeot while he completed his first novel. This was All the Conspirators, published in 1928, about the struggle for self-determination between children and their parents. In October 1928, Isherwood enrolled as a medical student at King's College London, but he left after six months.
In March 1929, Isherwood joined Auden in Berlin, where Auden was spending a post-graduate year. The ten-day visit changed Isherwood's life. He began an affair with a German boy met at a cellar bar called The Cosy Corner, and he was "brought face to face with his tribe" at Magnus Hirschfeld's Institute for Sexual Science. He revisited Berlin in July and moved there in November.
Gerald Heard introduced British writer Aldous Huxley to Vedanta (Hindu-centered philosophy) and meditation. After migrating to America in 1937, Heard and Huxley became Vedantists attending functions at the Vedanta Society of Southern California under the guidance of founder Swami Prabhavananda, a monk of the Ramakrishna Order of India. The Swami initiated both. Heard and Huxley introduced Isherwood to the Swami's Vedanta Society. Over time, Isherwood developed a close friendship with Huxley, with whom he sometimes collaborated. Isherwood became a dedicated Vedantist and was initiated by Prabhavananda, his guru.
The conversion to Vedanta was so intense that Isherwood could not write another novel between 1939–1945, while he immersed himself in the study of the Vedanta Scriptures, even becoming a monk for a time at the Society. For the next 35 years, Isherwood collaborated with the Swami on translations of various Vedanta scriptures, including the Bhagavad Gita, writing articles for the Society's journal and occasionally lecturing at the Hollywood and Santa Barbara temples. For many years he would come to the Hollywood temple on Wednesday nights to read the Gospel of Ramakrishna for half an hour, then the Swami would take questions from the devotees.
From 1950 to 1978, Isherwood gave 53 lectures at the Hollywood and Santa Barbara Vedanta Temples. He mentions in his diaries and the book, My Guru and His Disciple that he feels unqualified to preach. Hence, most of his lectures were readings of papers written by others, primarily Swami Vivekananda. There were a few original lectures, including, Who Is Ramakrishna, The Writer and Vedanta, and a study on Girish Chandra Ghosh, a householder disciple of Ramakrishna.
Isherwood was also very involved in producing the bi-monthly journal of the Vedanta Society of Southern California, Vedanta, and the West. From 1943 to 1945, he was Managing Editor, and from 1951 to 1962, he was an Editorial Advisor with Aldous Huxley, Gerald Heard, and John van Druten from 1951 to 1958. From 1949 to 1969, he wrote 40 articles for the journal.

Christopher

Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (Nouen) (1932–1996) was a Dutch-born Catholic priest and writer who authored 40 books on the spiritual life. Nouwen's books are widely read today by Protestants and Catholics alike. The Wounded Healer, In the Name of Jesus, Clowning in Rome, The Life of the Beloved, and The Way of the Heart are just a few of the more widely recognized titles.&nbsp;
After nearly two decades of teaching at the Menninger Foundation Clinic in Topeka, Kansas, and at the University of Notre Dame, Yale University, and Harvard University, he went on to share his life with mentally handicapped people at the L'Arche community of Daybreak in Toronto, Canada. After a long period of declining energy, which he chronicled in his final book, Sabbatical Journey, he died in September 1996 from a sudden heart attack.&nbsp;
His spirituality was influenced by many, notably by his friendship with Jean Vanier. At the invitation of Vanier, he visited L'Arche in France, the first of over 130 communities around the world where people with developmental disabilities live and share life together with those who care for them. In 1986 Nouwen accepted the position of pastor for a L'Arche community called "Daybreak" in Canada, near Toronto.&nbsp;
Nouwen wrote about his relationship with Adam, a core member at L'Arche Daybreak with profound developmental disabilities, in a book titled Adam: God's Beloved. Father Nouwen was a good friend of the late Joseph Cardinal Bernardin. The results of a Christian Century magazine survey conducted in 2003 indicate that Nouwen's work was a first choice of authors for Catholic and mainline Protestant clergy.&nbsp;
One of his most famous works is Inner Voice of Love, his diary from December 1987 to June 1988 during one of his most serious bouts with clinical depression. There is a Father Henri J. M. Nouwen Catholic Elementary School in Richmond Hill, Ontario.

Henri

Thomas Merton (1915-1968) is arguably the most influential American Catholic author of the twentieth century. His autobiography, The Seven Storey Mountain, has millions of copies and has been translated into over fifteen languages. He wrote over sixty other books and hundreds of poems and articles on topics ranging from monastic spirituality to civil rights, nonviolence, and the nuclear arms race.&nbsp;
After a rambunctious youth and adolescence, Merton converted to Roman Catholicism and entered the Abbey of Gethsemani, a community of monks belonging to the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (Trappists), the most ascetic Roman Catholic monastic order.&nbsp;
The twenty-seven years he spent in Gethsemani brought about profound changes in his self-understanding. This ongoing conversion impelled him into the political arena, where he became, according to Daniel Berrigan, the conscience of the peace movement of the 1960s. Referring to race and peace as the two most urgent issues of our time, Merton was a strong supporter of the nonviolent civil rights movement, which he called "certainly the greatest example of Christian faith in action in the social history of the United States." For his social activism, Merton endured severe criticism from Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who assailed his political writings as unbecoming of a monk.&nbsp;
During his last years, he became deeply interested in Asian religions, particularly Zen Buddhism, and in promoting East-West dialogue. After several meetings with Merton during the American monk's trip to the Far East in 1968, the Dali Lama praised him as having a more profound understanding of Buddhism than any other Christian he had known. It was during this trip to a conference on East-West monastic dialogue that Merton died in Bangkok on December 10, 1968, the victim of an accidental electrocution. The date marked the twenty-seventh anniversary of his entrance to Gethsemani.

Thomas

Lynn Vincent is the #1 New York Times best-selling writer of eleven nonfiction books with more than 16 million copies in print, Executive Editor of WORLD Magazine, and mother of the two handsomest, most brilliant sons in the universe.&nbsp;&nbsp;
She is also the investigator and host of Lawless, a true crime podcast that examines a frightening fact of American life: That not every crime is against the law. Lawless is produced in collaboration with WORLD Radio, a division of World News Group.
Lynn’s latest book is INDIANAPOLIS: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Navy History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man (Simon and Schuster 2018.) Written with National Geographic historian Sara Vladic, the book was an instant New York Times bestseller and was chosen as one of the Best of 2018 by Barnes and Noble, Kirkus Reviews, Military Times, Amazon, and NPR.
Among Lynn’s other bestselling books are Same Kind of Different as Me (with Ron Hall and Denver Moore) and Heaven is for Real (with Todd Burpo.) Both were released as major motion pictures.
While on active duty with the U.S. Navy, Lynn served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. Her military experience proved critical in writing Dog Company: A True Story of American Soldiers Abandoned by Their High Command (Center Street Books.) Written with former 101st Airborne infantry commander Captain Roger T. Hill, Dog Company released in April 2017.
A veteran journalist, Lynn’s investigative pieces have been cited before Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. She has been profiled in major media outlets, including Newsweek and The New Yorker. Lynn lives in the mountains east of San Diego.

Lynn

Sam Harris is an American neuroscientist, philosopher, and author. He is the founder and CEO of Project Reason, a non-profit organization that promotes science and secularism. Harris is known for his critiques of religious faith and his promotion of scientific rationality and secular humanism. He has written several books, including "The End of Faith," "Letter to a Christian Nation," "The Moral Landscape," "Free Will," and "Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion." Harris is also a frequent speaker and commentator on neuroscience, philosophy, and religion issues.
Sam Harris hosts a podcast called "Making Sense," produced by his non-profit organization, Project Reason. The podcast features Harris having in-depth conversations with various guests, including scientists, scholars, authors, and other public figures. Topics of discussion on the podcast include science, philosophy, politics, and current events. The podcast is released weekly, and episodes can be found on various platforms such as iTunes, Spotify, and YouTube. The podcast has been running since 2013 and has been well-received by listeners for its in-depth and thought-provoking conversations.
Harris has written extensively on neuroscience and its implications for understanding the nature of consciousness, free will, and morality. In addition, he is known for his work on the neural basis of belief and emotion and his critiques of traditional religious and spiritual beliefs.
Project Reason is a non-profit organization that promotes scientific understanding and critical thinking on issues related to religion, morality, and politics. It provides a forum for open and rational discussion of these topics and works to combat the influence of dogmatism and superstition in public life. Some of the activities of Project Reason include public lectures, debates, discussions with experts in various fields, and the production of multimedia content such as podcasts, videos, and articles. Harris' organization also provides educational resources and materials for educators and students.

Todd

When four-year-old Colton Burpo underwent an emergency appendectomy, his family was overjoyed at his powerful survival. What they weren't expecting, though, were the stories that emerged months later--stories as wondrous as they were extraordinary, telling of their little boy's trip to heaven and back. Colton relayed to his parents that he'd left his body during the surgery--and authenticated this claim by describing what they were doing in another part of the hospital while he was being operated on.&nbsp;
He also told of visiting heaven and relayed stories told to him by people he met there whom he had never met in life, sharing events that happened even before he was born. He astonished his parents with descriptions and obscure details about heaven that matched the Bible exactly, despite not being able to read yet.

Brendon Burchard is an entrepreneur, author, and motivational speaker who has become one of the most sought-after voices in the personal-development space. He is the founder of High-Performance Academy and Expert Academy, which provide training, tools, and resources to help people reach their full potential.
A native of Montana, Burchard started out as a freelance copywriter and began writing self-help books in 2003. Since then, he has authored several bestsellers, including The Millionaire Messenger, The Charge, and Life's Golden Ticket. He has also been featured on many of the world's leading media outlets, including TIME, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.
Burchard is also the founder of the High Performance Institute, a center for research and education on the science of success and high performance. He has developed a groundbreaking model of human motivation and success, which is the basis of his teachings. Through his books, seminars, and other materials, Burchard offers practical advice on how to achieve peak performance in any area of life.
In addition to his work as a personal-development expert, Burchard is a philanthropist, having donated millions of dollars to various causes. He is also an active supporter of organizations that work to empower and inspire young people and has been a featured speaker at many conferences and events.
Burchard has earned a reputation as one of the most inspiring and influential personal-development experts in the world. He is a passionate believer in the potential of every person to reach their true potential, and his teachings have touched millions of lives around the world.

Brendon

Colton Burpo

Lynn Vincent

Randy Alcorn

Don Piper

Bill Hybels

In 'Heaven is for Real', Todd Burpo shares the incredible story of his son's visit to heaven during a near-death experience. This book encourages readers to explore their own faith and beliefs, and to see the power that faith can have in our lives.

The Power of Faith

Burpo's book provides a unique perspective on heaven, as described by his young son. This book invites readers to take a look at their own beliefs about the afterlife and to consider the possibility of a real, tangible heaven.

The Reality of Heaven

Throughout the book, the Burpo family's bond is a central theme. Their shared experiences and support for each other in times of crisis is a testament to the strength of family. Readers are encouraged to cherish their own family relationships and to lean on each other in times of need.

The Strength of Family

The book is unique in that it presents a child's view of heaven. This innocence and simplicity can be refreshing and enlightening for readers. It encourages us to listen to children and value their perspectives.

The Innocence of a Child's Perspective

Heaven is for Real is not just about a miraculous event, but also about the journey of healing and recovery. It encourages readers to find strength in their faith and to trust in the healing process, even when it seems impossible.

The Journey of Healing

Heaven is for Real

Todd Burpo is the pastor of Crossroads Wesleyan Church in Imperial, Nebraska. Todd worked shoulder-to-shoulder with the Imperial Volunteer Fire Department as a fire fighter. He served as the chaplain for the Nebraska State Volunteer Firefighter's Association. Todd has operated an overhead garage door company, coached wrestling and served on local school board. Todd graduated from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in 1991 summa cum laude with a BA in Theology. He was ordained in 1994. In 2011, Heaven is for Real Ministries, Inc was established due to the overwhelming response to the book.

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