Construction is never a simple thing. The general rule is to expect projects to take thirty percent longer than scheduled and to cost thirty percent more than budgeted. But a building taking more than 200 years to build is considerably…
Shortly before I got married, I entered headlong into a massive controversy brewing among my friends, a number of whom were getting married about the same time as me. The question we grappled with was how to treat our wives…
I’ve never given too much thought to my last name. I know that Burnham isn’t much of a Jewish name; that was by design. My grandfather, whose last name was Berman, couldn’t get into medical school with a Jewish last…
After a raging debate, the Swedish authorities finally agreed to abandon the antiquated rules that had long been causing deep emotional pain to their constituents. The new law gives Swedish parents the rights and freedoms which are granted to almost…
Xi Cheng left home at the age of fourteen in search of bread. A two year drought had killed off all but the hardiest vegetable crops in his farming village of Zihua-Ni (mostly horseradish, potatoes, beets, and other root crops),…
For most people, the rule of thumb is to stick to what you’re good at. But there are those rare individuals who can’t seem to stick to anything and are good at everything. Joseph Paxton was one of those people,…
Raise your hand if you believe in nine year old children working 12 hours a day in backbreaking and dangerous conditions? Raise it if you think it’s ok for men to be forced to climb barefoot into deep mines with…
If you were to think of the people who shaped the course of this country, you would certainly think of George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and John Adams. You might also think of Henry Ford, Alexander Graham Bell, or Albert Einstein.…
Recently, I had the pleasure of seeing two starkly contrasted national treasures in rapid succession. Both were awe-inspiring, both left me speechless, but one was made by G-d, and one made by man. One displayed the majesty and might of…
If you ever find yourself with a craving for humiliation, try the following: walk into any Hermes store, and ask the salesperson if they have any Birkin bags. What will follow is a full sizing up of you as a…