• Client feedback on the creation of the earth. By Mike Lacher.  Very funny little piece on "client feedback" to God on the creation of the Earth.  http://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/client-feedback-on-the-creation-of-the-earth

• To be more productive, spend the first ten minutes of your work day attending to the chef's ritual of "mise-en-place":  Harvard Business Review - http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/how-to-spend-the-first-10-minutes-of-your-day/

• How to build revenue - 24 Different Business Models with Examples:  http://theagni.com/2011/12/02/how-to-build-revenue-24-types-of-major-business-models-with-examples/

• What Happens To Your Brain When You Meditate? A Neuroscientist Explains - http://consciouslifenews.com/happens-brain-when-meditate-neuroscientist-explains/1174389/

• I Don't Want to Be Right, by Maria Konikova.  The New Yorker Magazine. To change false beliefs, appealing to a person's sense of self may be more important than the facts. http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/mariakonnikova/2014/05/why-do-people-persist-in-believing-things-that-just-arent-true.html

• Begging for Change: The Dollars and Sense of Making Nonprofits Responsive, Efficient, and Rewarding for All by Robert Egger.   Egger founded the Washington, D.C. non-profit - D.C. Central Kitchen in 1989. The agency collects unused food from local restaurants, hotels, and caterers and then cooks and distributes it to people in need.  The twist is that the cooking is done by ex-convicts, homeless individuals, and first time drug offenders who Egger puts through a 12 week culinary training program that allows them to get back on their feet and ultimately get jobs in the food service industry.  He also augments the culinary raining with assistance from other human service non-profits that help his team deal with the many different life issues they face. Mr. Egger is a history buff and does a great job in providing the historical underpinnings of the modern philanthropy movement in the U.S.  He bridges this with his own on the ground philosophy of combining charity with personal empowerment and reform. An excellent book for understandng the nonprofit sector, it's challenges, and a pathway to make it more effective for everyone involved.  

• Why Science Does Not Disprove God by Amir D. Aczel.  Aczel holds a PhD in Mathematics from Berkeley, is a science writer for Scientific American, Discover Magazine, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times, and is currently a research fellow at Harvard University.  The book does a terrific job of chronicling the history and intersection of religious thought and scientific discovery.  Prior to the 16th and 17th centuries, most European scientists were in fact working to uncover the scientific basis for "what God had created".  But as knowledge grew, they came into direct conflict with the command and control structure of the Catholic Church - that's where things went wrong:  Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) - was religious. His daughter was a nun and he had many friends in religious circles (including the pope).  He was known as the father of astronomy and modern science. In 1600 Galileo using his telescope verified the theory of Copernicus - that the earth circled the sun.  The church was furious, and thus began the fight between science and religion. Galileo was forced to appear in front of the Catholic Inquisition in Rome who ordered he be put to death (and had already killed many other scientists and thinkers for going against church orthodoxy). In 1633 in trial, Galileo recanted his findings under threat of torture and was put under house arrest for the remainder of his life. Galileo also is famous for linking science and mathematics and said "the book of nature is written in the language of mathematics.  After this, of course, over the next 400 years Science and Religion has grown apart.  It's a pity because as Einstein said: "Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind".  Could the new Pope bring Science and Spirituality back together again?  To perhaps say that the church will be open to accepting anything that Science can prove or disprove in terms of scripture (the Dalai Lama by the way has already made this statement in relation to Buddhism).  The Pope has already shown he's capable of amazing things.  Maybe it will happen... A very interesting read that covers the major scientific discoveries through current day.  Aczel's intention is exactly as the title states, not to prove the existence of God, but to prove that Science does Disprove God and to firmly take on the Dawkins lead New Atheist movement.

• Essentialism - The Disciplined Pursuit of Less - Greg McKeown saw first-hand how success can lead straight to professional and personal failure, during his career evaluating and coaching Silicon Valley executives. The heart of the problem, he says, is the insidious idea that we can do it all. http://youtu.be/T9x6D09AKBU

• The Value of Laughing at Dr. Oz - Comedian John Oliver's brilliant report on the un-regulated supplement industry, the lobbyists that work to keep it that way, and the politicians that gladly take their money and do their bidding.  http://bigthink.com/praxis/the-value-of-laughing-at-dr-oz

• Wolfgang Haffner - Heart of the Matter - superb solo piano classical disc.

• Ulf Wakenius - Vagabond - the cover of the Police's Message in a Bottle is too good to pass up...

• Trilok Gurtu - 21 Spices - Asian Fusion served hot and spicy from the modern Tubla master Trilok Gurtu.

• Lars Danielsson - Origo - highly spirited trio jazz with John Abercrombe on guitar adding muscularity to the pace.

• Dave Holland - Ones All - One of jazz's most talented bassists and a band leader and composer extraordinaire, Dave Holland goes completely solo on this new disc.

• "Curious that we spend more time congratulating people who have succeeded than encouraging people who have not."  ― Astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson

•  "To send light into the darkness of men's hearts -- such is the duty of the artist."  Composer, Robert Schumann

• "Your greatness is measured by your kindness; your education and intellect by your modesty; your ignorance is betrayed by your suspicions and prejudices, and your real caliber is measured by the consideration and tolerance you have for others."  - William J.H. Boetcker, Presbyterian Minister

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