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| Courtesy of http://blog.codlibrary.org/?p=521 |
The original This I Believe was a series of radio broadcasts running from 1951-1955 and was the brainchild of a personal idol, Edward R. Murrow and some of his associates. They'd collect and record essays from notable names and local "everymen" about their core beliefs.
The broadcasts were so popular they were translated into a number of languages and similar projects were launched in other countries around the world. Eventually the recordings were published as essay collections. This newest volume contains testimony from original 1950s participants like Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and Jackie Robinson and introduces more modern faces like Eve Ensler, Bill Gates and John Updike.
Frankly, I'm obsessed. Each essay is short and clear (the recordings ranged from three to five minutes tops) and so they book, even with its deep purpose is a very easy read. The editors have a website that contains all the original 1950s transcripts, gives visitors the opportunity to write their own "This I Believe" essay along with all sorts of other fun stuff.
For my atheist readers, the book is obviously a little heavy on the God and faith stuff, but you'd be pleased to read Penn Jillette's piece "There is No God," that emphasizes the importance of humanity.
Please, please, please check out this book or its original format. No matter where you're from, who you are or what you believe, I promise you won't be disappointed.
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