Something Beyond Greatness: Conversations with a Man of Science & a Woman of God

In their worldwide search to understand what gives rise to heroic acts, authors Judy Rodgers and Gayatri Naraine humbly discovered that the quality of 'something beyond greatness,' which we most often attribute to such extraordinary figures as Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Martin Luther King Jr., occurs naturally in the flow of life on subway platforms, city streets, and living rooms when people see the other with love and act from the heart. It vanishes, however, when we are thinking, planning, or trying too hard to make things happen. If we are all capable of the kind of selfless deeds that transform the world for the better, why don't they happen more often? Why do those who throw themselves in front of on-coming trains or leap into icy rivers to rescue another claim that 'anybody would have done it'? What would it take to create communities of greatness in the world? Is it a matter of our biology? Or our spiritual essence? Something Beyond Greatness is a thought-provoking discussion of the humble, loving service to others that is at the heart of greatness. For insight into the two sides of the coin, Rodgers and Naraine turned to a woman of God and a man of science: Dadi Janki and Humberto Maturana, both world-renowned in their respective practices. Through their discussions with Janki, Maturana, and many others, you'll come to realize, as have the authors, that the two sides of the coin lead to one whole . . . and that performing a miraculous act of greatness or living a life of greatness is an inspired heartfelt choice one makes in a moment of chaos, in the quiet of one's mind, or within a balance of these seemingly opposite circumstances.

About the Author :
Judy Rodgers is a writer and communication consultant who has worked extensively with thought leaders. She has held a range of executive positions in large media companies such as CBS Video, CBS-Fox Video, and New World Entertainment. She has worked with opinion leaders such as Tom Peters, Peter Senge and David Cooperrider. She is also founding director of Images and Voices of Hope, an international dialogue initiative with media, journalism and the arts that seeks to strengthen the role of media as a constructive force in society. Gayatri Naraine has been the Brahma Kumaris' (BK's) representative to the United Nations since 1980. As the BK's liaison to the UN, her role was to connect what the UN was doing on a global scale in the social and humanitarian fields of development with what the BK's were doing in those same areas using their expertise in spiritual growth of people on a personal scale. Gayatri was pivotal in the development of the Living Values Education program and worked closely with UNICEF and UNESCO in its implementation. She has also contributed to ILO's (International Labor Organization) Agenda on Decent Work in their consultation with non-governmental organizations.