Inspire Science

After five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, naval aviator John McCain returned home a changed man. Regaining his health and flight-eligibility status, he resumed his military career, commanding carrier pilots and serving as the navy’s liaison to what is sometimes ironically called the world’s most exclusive club, the United States Senate. Accompanying Senators John Tower and Henry “Scoop” Jackson on international trips, McCain began his political education in the company of two masters, leaders whose standards he would strive to maintain upon his election to the U.S. Congress.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

As director of legendary Pommery Champagnes, Philippe Pozzo di Borgo was not generally someone in the habit of asking for help. Then, in 1993, an accident left him a quadriplegic. Passing his days hidden in his Paris townhouse, Philippe found himself the modern equivalent of an “untouchable.” The only person who seemed not to be bothered by Philippe’s condition was someone who had been marginalized his entire life - Abdel, the unemployed, uninhibited immigrant from the outskirts of society who would become Philippe’s caretaker.

This special fifth volume in The Girls Who Could series honors not just one girl, but an entire fleet of fierce female aviators. Dubbed “The Night Witches” by their German adversaries, this all-female battalion out-flew and outmatched all other units, flying eight or more missions every night in small canvas planes. No parachutes. No fear. Just honest heroine-ism standing up for what was right. The Girls Who Could Fly in the Night encourages your little ones to be upstanders, fight bullies, do good, and shine bright.

While the core themes of adventure, friendship, and the yearning for eternal youth remain at the heart of this story, we invite you to embark on a fresh journey with us. Together, let us rediscover the wonder and enchantment of Neverland, as we witness the evolution of these beloved characters through a contemporary lens. We hope that this modernized retelling of Peter Pan will inspire your imagination, ignite your sense of wonder, and remind you that the magic of childhood and the power of dreams are timeless treasures meant to be cherished.

Countless times throughout our lives, we're presented with a choice to help another soul. Rescuing Ladybugs highlights the true stories of remarkable people who didn't look away from seemingly impossible-to-change situations and instead worked to save animals. Prepare to be transported to Borneo to release orangutans, Brazil to protect jaguars, Africa to connect with chimpanzees and elephants, the Maldives to free mantas, and Indonesia, the only place where dragons still exist in the wild.

Based on the NPR series of the same name, This I Believe features 80 Americans—from the famous to the unknown—completing the thought that begins with the book's title. The pieces that make up the program compel listeners to re-think not only what and how they have arrived at their own personal beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

All is not lost. There is still hope as the inhabitants of the Sanctuary bravely confound the armies of the Triparteum and the inquisition of the Tri-World Church. Emerging from their mystical underground hideaway these valiant individuals fearlessly battle the growing darkness using their simple testimony to the love of the Liberator, His power, and His gifts.

This essay comes from the NPR series This I Believe, which features brief personal reflections from both famous and unknown Americans. The pieces that make up the series compel listeners to rethink not only what and how they have arrived at their beliefs, but also the extent to which they share them with others.

The latest adventure from best-selling author Ben Fogle explores what we can learn from nature about living well and living wild. What can rowing across the Atlantic teach us about boredom and about patience? Can coming down from Everest take more resilience than climbing up in the first place? How can the isolation of the South Pole highlight what’s most important? And how can we tap into the same reflective state in our daily lives?

From one of America's most transformative politicians and activists, a powerful and inspiring memoir that sheds light on a harrowing personal journey and reveals how urgently we need our political leadership to prioritize meeting the needs of our most marginalized communities.

A cultural and intellectual history of sincerity, from its emergence during the Protestant Reformation to its present incarnations and adversaries. People have long been duped by "straight-talking" politicians, confessional talk-show hosts, and falsely earnest advertisers. As sincerity has become suspect, the upright and honest have taken refuge in irony.

The story is inspired by real dreams and a variety of moments in life that remained to vivid to forget. It is a Mythical Fictional Story of Crystal Powers and the Origin of Time. For Lena, in her dreams, sometimes she would touch the surface of the crystal and time would stop. It allowed her to go anywhere and only she was moving. In the story, the dreams continued and became a passion of hers to try and understand what the meaning of these dreams were.

Cercetările lui Leidy Klotz au condus la un adevăr simplu: indiferent dacă este vorba despre construirea unor jucării cu piese de lego, planurile de urbanizare, sendvișuri sau strategiile de afaceri, mintea e tentată să adauge, în loc să scadă. Adunăm instinctiv lucruri care nu ne trebuie neapărat. Le oferim stimulente celor cu performanțe remarcabile, dar nu ne gândim să înlăturăm obstacolele din calea lor. Ne însușim idei noi, care să ne facă lumea mai bună, dar nu renunțăm mai întâi la cele învechite și dăunătoare.

Fifteen years ago, two boys went missing at a state park in West Virginia. Six months later they mysteriously reappeared. Jeremy wouldn't say where they went and Rafe was unable, having no memory of their time lost in the woods though he bears terrible scars on his back that no one can explain. Now adults, Jeremy is a missing persons investigator with an uncanny ability to find lost and kidnapped girls. Meanwhile, Rafe has become a recluse, an artist unable to stop creating fantastical paintings and sculptures he shows to no one.

The Only-Sometimes-Inspirational Quote Book gathers into a single resource a compulsive reader's notes collected in notebooks over the years. It is curated to dispense knowledge, wisdom, a bit of humor, and some uncomfortable truths. The quotes originate from many sources: some well-known, many not, and a few unpleasant and definitely not inspirational. But, each will make you think, or reconsider things we all take for granted, or even discover some deep context about our world.

As Good and Evil sit precariously weighing in the balance, swaying back and forth with the whims and spirit of humanity, many continue to ask: What is it that gives us purpose? Who truly matters in this age of adversity? Are we coincidental masses of flesh and blood, or were we put on this Earth for a reason? Such impassable questions have been debated, answered, reexamined, and refuted since the very dawn of time. With the seemingly ever-mounting confusion, it’s easy to see why many have simply given up the search. Ebenezer Makinde, however, may be the exception.

Embark on an inspiring journey through the life and groundbreaking work of Barbara McClintock, a pioneering geneticist whose discoveries revolutionized our understanding of genetics. This captivating book, tailored for young listeners aged 8-14, brings science to life with engaging stories, hands-on activities, and vivid illustrations.

Early on in the Microsoft story, Bill Gates and other key executives met to decide how they would incentivize employees to make a charitable impact. The status quo was to offer a small percentage of your paycheck as a pretax deduction to a charity selected by your company. Microsoft decided to so something revolutionary instead. The Purpose Mindset tells the inside story behind how Microsoft built its culture of giving.

On February 28, 2000, Adnan Syed was convicted and sentenced to life plus 30 years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Hae Min Lee, a high school senior in Baltimore, Maryland. From the moment of his arrest, Syed has consistently maintained his innocence. Rabia Chaudry, a family friend, always believed him and has never given up the hope that he might someday be released. By 2013, however, after almost all appeals had been exhausted, things looked bleak. That was when Rabia contacted Sarah Koenig, a producer at This American Life.