Creating a World That Works for All

Creating a World That Works For All

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While Berrett-Koehler books strive to create change at all levels, we recognize that progress is being made every day by members of our community. We invite you to use this space to share how you Create A World that Works for All...every day.

Members: 18
Latest Activity: Dec 20, 2011

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A New Take on the BP Oil Spill 1 Reply

At this point, everyone knows of the disaster and devastation that has resulted from the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. As cathartic as it might be for me to expound on my disappointment in BP, in…Continue

Started by Bonnie Kaufman. Last reply by Bonnie Kaufman Jun 9, 2010.

I and others [heart] Larry Dressler's "Standing in the Fire"

Larry has been getting some very inspiring and touching fan mail from a wide variety of caring professionals. Here's a letter that just came today from a physician (who also happens to be his cousin:Continue

Started by Johanna Vondeling May 8, 2010.

Laura van Dernoot Lipsky Makes a Difference 1 Reply

I am repeatedly impressed by the reader response to Laura's book, "Trauma Stewardship." Pretty much every week, we receive (or Laura forwards) mail from readers whose lives have been changed by this…Continue

Started by Johanna Vondeling. Last reply by Amy Lenzo May 6, 2010.

Don't Forget About the Animals 4 Replies

"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -GandhiThis quote from Mahatma Gandhi has long been one of my favorites, and I very much believe…Continue

Tags: community, service, volunteer, rescue, animals

Started by Bonnie Kaufman. Last reply by Bonnie Kaufman May 4, 2010.

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Comment by Geert Callens on December 20, 2011 at 2:51pm: An old Jewish story goes like this. A man dies. In the world beyond he is allowed to choose himself between heaven and hell[1], which is, indeed, rather exceptional. The man does not like to take the risk to buy a pig in a poke, so he asks for a short visit to both places before making a decision.

First he is shown hell: a beautiful decorated room with long tables dressed with the most delicious food and drinks. Then a door is opened and the guests of Beelzebub enter the room, all dressed in magnificent clothes. But all persons seem to have the same handicap: both their elbows are stiff, they cannot bend their arm, so they cannot reach to their mouth. From the moment they see the food, they rush toward the tables. In doing so they push each other aside with one arm and try to grab everything they can with the other, much more than they can eat. But then they fail to bring the delicious food to their mouth, and out of anger and despair, they start to hit each other with the duck à l’orange, the lobsters and that sort of things. As Jean-Paul Sartre would say : “L’Enfer, c’est les autres”.

After this visit to hell, the man is given a glimpse of heaven: exactly the same scene. The same beautiful room with the same tables full of delicacies. Again the guests enter the room, dressed in exquisite clothes and again with two stiff arms. Each soul calmly walks towards the table, they all carefully select a piece of food... and reach it to the mouth of the person next to them. All this happens in a serene atmosphere. They all enjoy the delicious banquet. So here we could say: “Le ciel, c’est les autres.”

From song from Leonard Cohen’s album Ten New Songs.

“May the lights in The Land of Plenty shine on the truth some day”.

[1] Heaven is where the policemen are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and everything is organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where the cooks are British, the mechanics are French, the lovers Swiss, the policemen German, and everything is organized by the Italians.