For further information about Jack’s books, tapes and training programs, or to schedule him for a presentation, please contact:

  Self-Esteem Seminars

  P.O. Box 30880

  Santa Barbara, CA 93130

  Phone: 805-563-2935 • Fax: 805-563-2945

  Web site: www.chickensoup.com

  Who Is Mark Victor Hansen?

  Mark Victor Hansen is a professional speaker who in the last twenty years has made over 4,000 presentations to more than 2 million people in thirty-two countries. His presentations cover sales excellence and strategies; personal empowerment and development; and how to triple your income and double your time off.

  Mark has spent a lifetime dedicated to his mission of making a profound and positive difference in people’s lives. Throughout his career, he has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to create a more powerful and purposeful future for themselves while stimulating the sale of billions of dollars worth of goods and services.

  Mark is a prolific writer and has authored Future Diary, How to Achieve Total Prosperity and The Miracle of Tithing. He is coauthor of the Chicken Soup for the Soul series, Dare to Win and The Aladdin Factor (all with Jack Canfield), and The Master Motivator (with Joe Batten).

  Mark has also produced a complete library of personal-empowerment audio and videocassette programs that have enabled his listeners to recognize and use their innate abilities in their business and personal lives. His message has made him a popular television and radio personality, with appearances on ABC, NBC, CBS, HBO, PBS and CNN. He has also appeared on the cover of numerous magazines, including Success, Entrepreneur and Changes.

  Mark is a big man with a heart and spirit to match—an inspiration to all who seek to better themselves.

  For further information about Mark, write:

  MVH & Associates

  P.O. Box 7665

  Newport Beach, CA 92658

  Phone: 949-759-9304 or 800-433-2314

  Fax: 949-722-6912

  Web site: www.chickensoup.com

  Who Is Matthew E. Adams?

  Matthew E. Adams has extensive media and journalism experience and is an accomplished public speaker. He began his career working in radio while still in high school. After graduating from college he worked for ESPN in the production department where his assignments were SportsCenter, the NHL and the NFL. In addition to his media activities, he has spent the last twelve years as an executive in the golf and sporting goods industry. He also can be seen as a regular contributor on The Golf Channel.

  Matthew has written numerous stories for the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. Chicken Soup for the Soul of America is the first Chicken Soup book that he has coauthored. While researching for the book he toured Ground Zero and interviewed many people directly affected by the events of September 11, 2001. Matthew said the trip to the World Trade Center site, within weeks of the terrorist attacks, “Was an incredibly emotional experience. The scale of destruction and loss devastated me. Yet, at the same time, the people of New York were so strong and resolute. I found them to be inspiring. They are true heroes.”

  Matthew found the experience of coauthoring a Chicken Soup for the Soul book to be very rewarding. “I am humbled by the dedication of all of the people who worked tirelessly to pull this book together. I am particularly thankful for the patience and support of my wife Donna and my family.”

  Matthew Adams is available for professional speaking engagements and can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by mail at the Chicken Soup for the Soul offices.

  Chicken Soup for the Soul

  P.O. Box 30880, Santa Barbara, CA 93130

  fax: 805-563-2945

  Web sites: www.chickensoup.com

  www.clubchickensoup.com

  Contributors

  Christina M. Abt is a newspaper columnist, magazine profiler and radio commentator. Her work has also been featured on the Heartwarmers.com Web site as well as in Heartwarmer’s books and Petwarmer’s CD. She is the wife of one awesome husband, Michael, the mother of two terrific kids and will always be her mother’s daughter. E-mail: [email protected]

  Tom Adkins resides in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. As executive editor of CommonConservative.com, Tom is often published nationally and frequently appears as a pundit on various political television shows. With deep appreciation, he dedicates this article to the men, women and families who served and sacrificed in America’s Armed Forces.

  Marsha Arons is a freelance writer and video producer. Her stories and articles have appeared in Good Housekeeping, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Woman’s Day and Woman’s World. She has contributed to eight of the books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series. She is married and the mother of four daughters.

  Lynn Barker, member of the Writers Guild of America, has written for print, television, film and the interactive market. Credits include, The Twilight Zone (1986), Amazing Stories and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. She is a film critic and entertainment writer for several Web sites and is content producer at www.agirlsworld.com. E-mail: [email protected]

  Kimi Beaven grew up on Kauai and met Alan in India in 1990. She has a beautiful daughter Sonali and two wonderful stepsons. Kimi and Alan are known for their enthusiasm for life and deep commitment to the upliftment of humanity. Kimi can be reached at [email protected] More information can be found at www.Alanbeaven.org.

  Arthur Bowler, a graduate of Harvard Divinity School, is a writer, speaker and part-time minister in Switzerland. He is the author of the forthcoming book A Prayer and a Swear, a funny, inspirational look at life. You can reach him at [email protected]

  Shirley Boyer recently retired after thirty years of teaching in elementary education. Shirley enjoys reading stories to children, flower gardening, swimming, traveling and being a hostess in her home. She keeps busy with occasional substitute teaching, reading and being with friends.

  Ellie Braun-Haley is the author of A Little Door, A Little Light, an uplifting collection of stories about, angels, heavenly intervention and after-death communication. She is currently gathering stories for the sequel and publishing related stories on the Web. Contact her at [email protected] or www.eaglecreek.org.

  Helice Bridges, creator of the “Who I Am Makes a Difference” Acknowledgement Ceremony and Training Programs, has positively impacted the lives of over 23 million children and adults worldwide in corporations, organizations and schools. To order Blue Ribbon products or invite Helice to speak, please reach her at [email protected]

  Pam Bumpus and her husband, Alan, farm in east central Illinois. Writing is her hobby. She plans to publish a book, Backside of the Storm, a collection of inspiring and humorous events from a family journal she keeps, in the near future. Please e-mail her at: [email protected]

  Michele Wallace Campanelli is a national bestselling author and published novelist of Hollis Books. She is assisted by editor Fontaine Wallace, English professor at Florida Institute of Technology. Her cousin, Amberley Wallace, is on the USS Carl Vinson, an aircraft defending US in Enduring Freedom. To contact Michelle, go directly to www.michelecampanelli.com Michele sends all the families affected by the 9/11 tragedy her prayers. God bless America!

  Anne Carter, a native New Yorker and retired teacher, dedicates this story to her daughter, Donna, whose middle name is courage. May the world of our “Sweetest 13” always be proud and free. She sends her love to Daniel, Dylan, Alexander, Cameron, Maclaine and Matthew, Katie, Jack, Douglas, Alexandra, Shane, Christian and Michael. Contact Anne at: [email protected]

  Deanna Cogdon is a wireless marketing communications manager with Aliant Telecom (serving the four Atlantic Canadian provinces). She holds an undergraduate degree from Careleton University, a diploma in public relations from Algonquin College and is completing a diploma in marketing and international business. She is an aspiring writer. E-mail: [email protected]

  Fred O. Cox was born March 18, 1941, in Pleasantville, New York
, grew up in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Duke University, in 1963. He began his career in banking in New York City and then worked for thirty years in resort and golf development and management. He is a cofounder of Boulders in Carefree, Arizona, has served on several boards of directors. Today Mr. Cox acts as a consultant and resides in Palm Beach, Florida.

  Terri Crisp has been involved in helping animals during disasters since 1983. She is the author of two books, Out of Harm’s Way and Emergency Animal Rescue Stories, which tell of her experiences in over fifty major disasters. She can be reached at: [email protected]

  Mike Daisey’s monologues include Wasting Your Breath and I Miss The Cold War. His first book, 21 DOG YEARS: Doing Time @ Amazon.com, will be published in spring 2002 by The Free Press. He lives in Brooklyn with his lovely wife, Jean-Michele. You can find him online at: www.mikedaisey.com.

  Elizabeth Danehy currently resides with her parents and sisters in Duxbury, Massachusetts. She is presently working toward a bachelor’s degree in social work at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, New York. She is a member of The Sirens, an a capella group whose CDs are available to the public.

  Michael D’Antonio is a writer who lives on Long Island, New York. He is the author of ten books on subjects as varied as religion, golf, atomic science and the pesky mosquito. He can be contacted at [email protected]

  Michael De Adder, artist, was born in New Brunswick, Canada. He received his bachelor of fine arts degree from the province’s Mount Allison University. Michael currently draws daily editorial cartoons for a major East Coast newspaper. Michael is also an accomplished painter. Please view samples of his cartoon work online at www.artizans.com.

  Lisa Duncan is a professional speaker and trainer. She teaches “Investment Dressing: How to Build a Professional Wardrobe on $5 a Day” to colleges and national corporations. She also offers inspiring speeches and seminars on the benefits of stress management and on having an “Attitude of Gratitude.” She may be reached at Duncan and Duncan Enterprises LLC; 303-512-7638; e-mail: [email protected]

  Meredith Englander graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in psychology from Columbia University with a master’s in clinical social work, and Bank Street College of Education with a master’s in special education. She is a cofounder and director of MATAN: The Gift of Jewish Learning for Every Child. For more information, visit: www.matankids.org.

  Captain Aaron Espy is a firefighter/paramedic who works and lives southwest of Seattle. He is best known throughout the fire service for his unique brand of firehouse poetry. Espy is a columnist, freelancer and author of Standing in the Gap, a book of firehouse poetry.

  Marc Farre is a New York-based composer, singer and songwriter with three CDs released so far. His most recent, Man on the Sun (available on Amazon.com), has been hailed by critics as “fantastic,” “mesmerizing” and “joy and ecstasy.” He’s also composed more than a dozen scores for modern ballet, as well as special music for healing. Marc can also be heard occasionally on public radio. “Prayer Flags” will appear on Marc’s next album. In the meantime, you can download it for free (and contact Marc) on his Web site: www.marcfarre.com.

  Robin Gaby Fisher has been writing for The Star-Ledger, New Jersey’s largest circulation newspaper, for seven years. She was a finalist for this year’s Pulitzer Prize for her seven-part series “After The Fire” which chronicled nine months in the lives of two students recovering from critical burns in the Seton Hall University dormitory fire. Recently she wrote a five-part series about two World Trade Center widows and their struggle to recovery from the September 11 tragedy. Please reach her at [email protected]

  Danielle Giordano is a twenty-one-year-old college student from Rockaway, New Jersey. She is a special education major and aspiring writer. Her passage was written directly following the tragic events on September 11, her goal is to express our unity and show that we will not help to feed the fear which terror thrives on. Please reach her at: [email protected]

  Teri Goggin, R.N., is a writer, reiki master and mother of two remarkable children. Her book, Strong & Wise: Four Keys to Transforming Life’s Pain, unlocks the secret to finding powerful gifts beneath painful challenges. For information on her book, or the Strong & Wise workshops, visit Teri’s Web site: www.StrongWise.com.

  Steve Goodier is the publisher of the Internet newsletter Your Life Support System. He sends his e-zine of hope and encouragement to people in over 100 nations daily. He left his position as senior minister in a Denver, Colorado, church to write and publish his newsletter and has since written numerous books. Steve and his wife (and best friend), Bev, now work together, in their home in Colorado, publishing the daily e-zine and inspirational books. You can only get Steve’s books here: www.LifeSupportSystem.com or call 877-344-0989.

  Maria Miller Gordon is a trade organization’s newspaper editor-in-chief, a freelance writer and a photographer. She is the cofounder of her local writers club and is currently working on her first novel. Maria lives in rural northwest Ohio with her husband and two children. Contact her at: [email protected]

  Steven M. Gorelick, Ph.D., is a college administrator and sociologist at the City University of New York. His specialties are the press coverage of crime and violence, social panic, and the history of propaganda. His commentaries have appeared in The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Christian Science Monitor, International Herald Tribune and in many other publications.

  Shelley Divnich Haggert is a freelance writer and the editor of a local parenting magazine. Shelley has three children and enjoys living on the Canada-U.S. border. She loves history and literature and plans to publish children’s picture books one day. Please reach her at: [email protected]

  Megan Hallinan received her bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. She is a native of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and received her commission as a naval officer on March 17, 2000. After the navy, she will spend the rest of her life traveling.

  Susan Sloate is a published author/playwright/screenwriter and runs her own telecommunications business. Visit her at www.SusanHalm.com or e-mail [email protected]

  William Harvey studies at The Juilliard School in New York City. He is the director of Music for the People, soon to become a nonprofit organization, which will send young classical musicians around the world to play for people who need the solace music provides, starting with soldiers stationed at overseas bases. For more information, please contact him at [email protected]

  HeroicStories is a free online newsletter that publishes true stories of “heroes in everyday life,” inspiring their readers to act to help others in need. HeroicStories also publishes reader reactions to the moral issues raised in the stories. Thus, HeroicStories creates a global dialog about humanity’s incredible capacity to act to benefit others. Free e-mail subscriptions are available at: www.HeroicStories.com.

  Bill Holicky is an architect who lives in Boulder, Colorado, with his wife Kelley and their son Jackson. His passage is dedicated to the memory of Jackson’s older brother, I.B. He can be reached at [email protected]

  Kathy Ide lives in Brea, California, with her husband, Richard, and two sons, Tom and Mike. She is a full-time freelance author, coauthor, editor, and proofreader. She works with both authors and publishing houses, including Moody Press, Thomas Nelson Publishers and Honor Books. E-mail: [email protected]

  David Jacobson is an award-winning cartoonist currently working for The Journal News, a Gannett newspaper in Westchester, New York, where his cartoon appears daily. His sports cartoon, “Offsides,” was syndicated through United Features.

  Bil Keane created “The Family Circus,” based on his own family, in 1960. It now appears in well over 1,500 newspapers and is read daily by 188 million people. The award-winning feature is the most widely syndicated panel cartoon in America. Check out The Family Circus Web site: www.familycircus.com.

  Carol Kline, coauthor of the b
estselling Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul, Chicken Soup for the Cat and Dog Lover’s Soul and Chicken Soup for the Mother’s Soul 2, has been a pet lover her entire life. Currently she is on the board of directors for the Noah’s Ark Animal Foundation located in Fairfield, Iowa, a unique, cageless no-kill animal shelter that saves lost, stray and abandoned cats and dogs. Write Carol at: P.O. Box 1262, Fairfield, IA 52556, or e-mail: [email protected]

  Rosemarie Kwolek works in Manhattan as a legal secretary and lives in Bardonia, New York, with her husband, Edward, a design engineer for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey where he was assigned to Tower One of the World Trade Center. They have two daughters in college and one in medical school. Rosemarie can be reached at [email protected]

  Patricia Lorenz is an art-of-living writer and speaker and the author of three books, over 400 articles; a contributor to ten Chicken Soup for the Soul books; thirteen Daily Guideposts books; numerous anthologies; and an award-winning columnist for two newspapers. For speaking engagements phone 1-800-437-7577 or e-mail: [email protected]

  Gordon MacDonald is an author and speaker among business and nonprofit organizations on the subject of leadership and the organization of the inner life of the person. Author of fifteen books, he is best known for Ordering Your Private World. A book centered on his experiences and observations of life at Ground Zero is due later in 2002. He lives with his wife, Gail, in Canterbury, New Hampshire.

  Jimmy Margulies is the editorial cartoonist for The Record in New Jersey. The recipient of international, national and local awards, his cartoons are syndicated by King Features. A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, he and his wife Martha have two children, Elana and David. [email protected]

  Charles Memminger, a National Society of Newspaper Columnists award-winner, is a newspaper columnist and screenwriter in Honolulu, Hawaii. His column, “Honolulu Lite,” is published in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin and can be read online at www.starbulletin.com. You may e-mail him at [email protected]