WHAT'S NEW

The Mediterranean Diet

• The basics—and the brain health benefits. Plus recipes for a celebratory meal from Mario Batali, Giada De Laurentiis, Michael Psilakis, and The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook.
• Bring vegetables, beans, and grains to the center of your plate for a delicious, budget-wise meal. Recipes from two of America's favorite Mediterranean cooks 
• Big Flavors: How they keep you coming back for more healthy meals. Recipes from Mark Bittman, Joanne Weir
• Farmers' Market Meals: 7 secrets of successful shopping, plus recipes from Alice Waters and Deborah Madison

Career Need Renewal?

• Getting past career shock: one woman's story.
• How to overcome procrastination and launch your fabulous second act.
• Do you dream of finding more fulfilling work? How about going back to school? Harvard, for one, is testing a "Boomer School" for seasoned leaders who want to switch.
• The second stage of a nonprofit career has brought soul back into one woman's work as her organization, What Kids Can Do, gives authentic voice to kids around the globe.

School Reform Leader

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan developed his ed-cred in 7 years as top exec of Chicago's public schools. Pragmatic rather than ideological, his child-centered priorities show clearly in this close-up the morning after the president-elect named him on December 17. Meet Arne Duncan.

If You Need Help Sleeping...

A new study shows practicing tai chi can help you get more shut-eye. Plus more sleep tactics.

Twyla Tharp's Creative Secret

At 67, choreographer Twyla Tharp is still premiering new works. What’s the secret behind her impressive productivity? Tharp says it’s more about routine than bolts of inspiration. And she insists Creativity Is A Habit We All Can Learn.

TRENDS

The Happiness Professor

Psychologist Mihaly Cziksentmihalyi has spent a lifetime researching happiness and creativity. Thanks in part to his efforts, the discipline of psychology has moved towards discovering ways for people to feel more positive and satisfied in day-to-day life—a sea change from simply focusing on mental illness. Find out more about the day-to-day “flow” experiences that make us happy.

New Gates Foundation School Reform Priorities

"America's long history of upward mobility is in danger," Melinda Gates warned educators recently. With her husband, Bill, Melinda French Gates co-chairs the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. "The college completion rate in America has been flat since the 1970s," she noted. Foundation priorities include new grants for community colleges. More from Melinda Gates' comments.

"Neshoba" Wins 4 Indie Film Awards...No, Now Make That 5!

The independent film Neshoba by Micki Dickoff and Tony Pagano that looks at race and justice in Mississippi has won a total of five awards (and counting...) at independent film festivals since its September 2008 premier. More on Neshoba.

The Backstory on This Financial Mess

Credit swaps, LIBOR, TED spreads, bailouts—if you're drowning in facts, here are six sources that offer some explanations, and even a chuckle or two.

Meditation Isn't Just for Yogis Anymore

It's being practiced in classrooms and boardrooms. Here's why you might want to try this stress-relief technique yourself. Plus tips on where you can learn to meditate.

OPINION

Stop Layoffs, Boost the Economy

A research specialist challenges the rush to lay off workers because it freezes the economy and slows recovery. Rebecca McPheters proposes a better way.

TRENDS

Time for 'Boomer School'

Well, hooray—"Boomer School" is on the way. But lest that sound paralyzingly cute, like some vampire Sesame Street, rest assured. Now that 78 million baby boomers are approaching retirement, two major philanthropies have put money on the line to develop valuable curriculum that will help them refocus their careers and stay active. More on Boomer School. 

Making Your '203(b)' Pain a Teachable Moment

NRTA Live & Learn

Even if recent losses in retirement accounts didn't suggest the Great Depression, there's been plenty in the press. If you wonder whether such then-and-now comparisons really are apt, brush up your history with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. Six pieces from historians, starting with David M. Kennedy's overview of the Great Depression, provide information that may surprise you. For instance: FDR's ballyhooed New Deal never was able to bring the unemployment rate below 14%. The Gilder Lehrman Institute's high school history curricula and programs for teachers were covered recently in this Live &  Learn report. Plus: Get the key to a stash of cartoons from the FDR era.