Mission

People tell me that One World: A View of Fifty Countries changes the way they see things. It certainly has changed my perceptions. People tell me that the book exhibits a sense of beauty and wonder, that it uplifts their spirits and nurtures a sense of optimism.

Why? The book is about looking with fresh eyes. It's about imagining the beauty in the ordinary. It's about connecting with one another.

How can we connect? A gladiator tree frog epitomizes the interconnectedness of all forms of life in the Amazonian rainforest. A Vietnamese man who must have fought against Americans in the war and who showed me only warmth and graciousness taught me about connection. Seeing a cave painting from 20,000 years ago and the next day witnessing the Guggenheim Museum in northern Spain demonstrated the connection between mankind's great works of art through the centuries. Seeing a zebra and egret in Zambia meeting eye to eye shows different species in harmony. A gladiator tree frog. A former enemy from Viet Nam. A cave painting and a modern museum. A zebra and egret. They can teach us a lot about connecting.

Let's get to specifics. This feeling of connection has led me to give all the profits of this book to the Himalayan Cataract Project. Let's go further. Let's connect by building a "One World" community together. We have provided opportunities on this website to share your stories, thoughts and favorite bits of wisdom.

Looking with fresh eyes.

Imagining beauty in the ordinary.

Connecting with one another.

Because we are all notes in the same grand symphony.

Look. Imagine. Connect.