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Thunderbird Stories Project: Volume 1
Tuesday, October 25th, 2011
T-birds (as students and alumni are known at Thunderbird School of Global Management) find themselves in all sorts of memorable situations around the world. These adventures have led to a rich collection of stories about meeting extraordinary people, overcoming language barriers, and getting lost — all part of the adventure when T-birds go off the beaten path. Experience the world through these intrepid globetrotters as they float down the Niger River, journey into the heart of India, see North Korea through the eyes of a local, become a patient at a local Chinese hospital, meet a Bedouin elder, and much more. Be inspired to seek out adventure yourself!
Title: Thunderbird Stories Project: Volume 1, Tales of Global Adventure
Co-editors: Project editors include 2011 Thunderbird graduates Jessi Bellama, Joe Fuyuno, Benjamin Neblock and Monica Stoeffl. They share stories from T-bird alumni spanning 60 years, from class years 1952 to 2012. Authors include: Nikhil Agarwal ‘10, John Bevell ‘12, Bharath Balusubramanian ‘11, Abhijit Chakrabarti ‘12, Catalina Cisneros ‘97, Gbemi Disu ‘06, Bryan D’Souza ‘11, Pablo Gonzalez ‘11, Merle A. Hinrichs ‘65, Steve Klemme ‘85, Frederick Koppl ‘52, Loan Ma ‘11, Paul Mastromatteo ‘11, Mac Messenger ‘72, Katie Nehlsen ‘11, Ilaha Eli Omar ‘12, Babs Ryan ‘81, Dan Schell ‘59 and Kelly Garriott Waite ‘90.
Publisher: CreateSpace (October 18, 2011)
Price: $9.95
Description: Paperback, 120 pages
ISBN: 978-1466415874
Information: www.amazon.com
John Lennon called himself a working class hero. George Harrison was a working class mystic. This book gives an honest, in-depth view of Harrison’s journey from a blue-collar childhood to his role as a world-famous spiritual icon. It was with conscious commitment that Harrison journeyed to India, studied sitar with Ravi Shankar, practiced yoga, learned meditation from the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and became a devotee of Hinduism. George worked hard to subdue his own ego and to understand the truth beyond appearances. He preferred to keep a low profile, but his empathy for suffering people led him to spearhead the first rock-and-roll super event for charity. And despite his wealth and fame, he was always delighted to slip on overalls and join in manual labor on his grounds. At ease with holy men discussing the Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita, he was ever the bloke from Liverpool whose father drove a bus, whose brothers were tradesmen, and who had worked himself as an apprentice electrician until the day destiny called.
This is the story of a man from Greece and the journey that would eventually take him to the USA, the country of his dreams. Paul P. Rachmanides was born on November 19, 1949 in Dikea, Eyros, Greece. Paul’s early life on the farm and the strict rules of his father, helped establish principles for the future. After graduating from high school in June of 1967, Paul served honorably in the Greek Special Forces as a Second Lieutenant and graduated from both the Ranger and Jump schools. Paul set his mind on acquiring a student VISA and would make it to the United States on August 23, 1971. Without knowing a word of English or anyone, he received a Masters Degree from Thunderbird, the School of Global Management through perseverance and dedication. He worked for CBS Records International in Europe as an Executive Trainee for one year before resigning so he could return to his dream country, the USA. Paul felt his dream of living in America slipping away, but he would struggle but also succeed in returning. For the next twenty years Paul experiences his own Odyssey, desperately trying to build the life he wants for himself.
Lon Barash kept his camera close to him during his days as a Peace Corps volunteer from 1965-1967 in Peru’s sierra province of Huamalies. When he returned to Peru after his Thunderbird studies, he continued the photography hobby. Photographs from both periods are featured in his new photography book. Each photograph is accompanied by descriptive narratives in Spanish and English, which convey the ambiance of the situations shown.
An emeritus academic describes other times in the rural West, educational plateaus, years of involvement around the world, dynamics of university life, search for faith and social justice and challenges of aging.
An itinerant academic describes earlier times in the rural West.
“Taylor’s Way: A Father’s Very Special Relationship with His Son” is a portrayal of how one father has struggled to manage his own busy life with that of his wife, their three typical children and his special needs son, Taylor. The author provides candid, personal stories of raising a child with special needs through a personal chronology of events, activities and stories that might make you stand up and cheer, pause to reflect and maybe cry a little. He also presents some helpful hints and recommendations on where a parent might go for information or resources and how to cope and succeed in our fast-moving and ever-changing world.
This is the personal account of an army infantry platoon leader and commanding officer in the central highlands of Vietnam during 1967 and 1968 when he was 21 years old. These were the two bloodiest years of the war, a time when the army employed search and destroy missions with high casualty rates. The author provides a historical overview and casualty report of the Vietnam War, his military and officer training, and his return to civilian life after Vietnam.
Charles Hinkley took a break from his studies at Thunderbird in 1958 and toured 21 countries in Latin America. He traveled on tramp steamers, paddled a canoe down the Amazon River, visited bankers and met the president of Sears Roebuck Brazil. He returned to the United States with copious notes from the odyssey, which he eventually published in 2008 (honoring a request made by late Thunderbird professor Lyle Shurz).
A radio playlist could easily follow John Lennon’s “Mind Games” with “Do Ya Think I’m Sexy.” But comparing the two, it becomes obvious that Lennon had more in common with the great thinkers of any age than with the songwriters who were his contemporaries. “Cynical Idealist” reveals, for the first time, the spiritual odyssey of this extraordinary man. Out of a turbulent life, from his troubled, working-class childhood throughout his many roles — Beatle, peace advocate, social activist, househusband — Lennon managed to fashion a philosophy that elevates the human spirit and encourages people to work, individually and collectively, toward a better world. Like Socrates, Lennon wanted to stimulate people to think for themselves. “There ain’t no guru who can see through your eyes,” he sings in “I Found Out.” “Cynical Idealist” beautifully articulates this and the other lessons John Lennon passed along through his songs and through the example of his life.