INTERVIEWS

The third-most-powerful man in Washington, D.C., an open any door, but he still prefers the old fashioned way—to open them for women. The tall, graceful, handsome congressman with soulful, caring blue eyes often forgets himself and opens the door for the female security detail that is there to protect him. They smile at his habitual instinct, though some may question whether, in this day and age, his good manners are still politically correct.

COLONEL DAVID HUNT has spent almost thirty years fighting our nation's wars, from Vietnam to Bosnia. He is a New York Times bestselling author and has been a commentator with Fox News for ten years.

As the visiting speaker and her aide sped toward the female penitentiary in Ramle, Israel, she still had not formulated a speech with which to address the Jewish inmates. The delay was born from Esther Jungreis’s concern that her remarks to the prisoners might be misinterpreted as condescending or judgmental. The prisoners already knew they had erred and she wasn’t going there to remind them.

The sign hanging on the radio-station wall was an ominous directive both to the veteran reporters who wanted to maintain their careers and to the young wannabes eager to make it. The bespectacled Larry King was just starting out himself when he read those guiding words: “When in doubt, leave it out,” the sign cautioned. But an insatiably curious and courageous King ignored the “writing on the wall,” and proudly tells how throughout his career he always broke that rule.

There are few men who are man enough to deflect well-deserved praise and instead let it shine on the women in their lives. But Harvey M. Krueger, vice chairman of Lehman Brothers, is one such man. When trying to prompt Krueger to speak about his life success, for him all roads lead to home.

The photographers clicked frenziedly as bare-shouldered beauties walked down the red carpet in slinky gowns and high heels. The tuxedoed Adonis-like men with well-shined shoes were equally suave and click worthy. It was easy to envy this conglomerate of who’s who bedecked in bling and bravado as they gracefully pivoted and posed for the cameras.

In spite of the ravages of time and the savages of history, the Western Wall, emblematic of its beleaguered nation, still stands 19 centuries later in the eternal Jewish capital of the eternal Jewish homeland. As if in unison with the worshipers bowing and bending before it, the Wall, too, physically slants eastward, as though in deference to the Holy of Holies it once hosted.

When Herb London was 15 years old his teacher taught him a trick that would ultimately help him change the world. Yet, neither he nor she could have known then that her advice would rear a mind and a man who would be listed among the “Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century,” who would counsel presidents, influence domestic and foreign policy, author dozens of books, run for public office, take on the United Nations, and boldly challenge jihadists across the globe.

With his tiny fingers cocked like a toy gun, the precocious 4-year-old boy runs into the room, aims his imaginary bullets, says “bang, bang,” and then “shoots” my interview subject mid-interview. The playful child then runs to his grandfather, Bertie Lubner, one of South Africa’s most successful notables, gives him a big hug, and then engages his adoring patriarch for several minutes in childlike banter with spirited questioning. He is a black child, adopted by Lubner’s daughter.

Whoever said that a picture is worth a thousand words has underestimated the work of Ranan Lurie. Lurie's caricatures, published in 100 countries expose international leaders (sometimes with their pants down) and portrays events with great humor. They are also imbued with keen political insight and uncanny foresight.

His job description—“Talking to God on a daily basis”—for certain is not one commonly
found on Monster.com. His is the voice that rises boldly before the Almighty beseeching for mercy to heal the sick and to forgive the sinner.
His is the voice that has accompanied his people
through all the seasons of life.

Alfred E. Mann’s story is the best one to read in today’s very difficult economic times. When many doubt whether brighter days are ahead, with problems that seem insurmountable, perhaps more empowering than slogans such as “Yes, we can” would be “Wow, look at what he
did.” Not one to lean on quick fixes and false promises on how to make it, it’s no wonder he would title his biography How to Succeed in Business by Really Trying—surely a jarring phenomenon for a generation addicted to immediate gratification.