According to a famous and almost certainly untrue story, sometime in the 19th century the director of the U.S. Patent Office advised the president to close the office, saying that everything that coul... more

A father said to his son, "I'm worried about your being at the bottom of the class."... more

Eliza Doolittle, the main character in the Broadway musical “My Fair Lady,” makes a salient point about respect when she tells a visitor: “The difference between a lady and a flower girl is not how sh... more

A young man, fresh from receiving his MBA, went back to visit his old college professor to ask him a question that had always puzzled him. He asked, “What do you think is the most important quality fo... more

Just for fun, I reread the recent columns I’ve written during the past few years. It’s a practice I find very helpful: identifying trends, examining the topics that are reader favorites and looking fo... more

Once upon a time, there was an enterprising businessman who had a fantastic idea. He thought he had figured out a way to build the perfect automobile.... more

There is a face-lift you can perform yourself that is guaranteed to improve your appearance. It’s called a smile.... more

Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he had been asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a 4-year-old child whose next-doo... more

Richard Petty, the stock-car racing legend, finished second in his very first race. He was so excited that he sped home to tell his mother.... more

Wishing to encourage her young son's progress on the piano, a mother took her little boy to a concert featuring the famous pianist, Paderewski. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in t... more

One Sunday afternoon, a cranky grandfather was visiting his family. As he lay down to take a nap, his mischievous grandson decided to have a little fun by putting Limburger cheese on Grandpa's mustach... more

“When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my t... more

In 1914, Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange, New Jersey, was destroyed by a fire. Much of Edison’s life's work went up in flames. At the height of the fire, Edison’s 24-year-old son, Charles, sear... more