Most of the villagers were hiding in the bush, where they were dying from bad water, malaria and malnutrition

China was probably the worst place in the world to grow up female 100 years ago. There was foot binding, female infanticide, concubinage, and child marriage, and now it's one of the better places. So I really do feel that we're on the right side of history here.

It's important not to demonize [Donald's] Trump voters.

The tide of history is turning women from beasts of burden and sexual playthings into full-fledged human beings.

The trails are a reminder of our insignificance. We come and go, but nature is forever. It puts us in our place, underscoring that we are not lords of the universe but components of it...So when the world seems to be falling apart, when we humans seem to be creating messes everywhere we turn, maybe it's time to rejuvenate in the cathedral of the wilderness - and there, away from humanity, rediscover our own humanity.

A few countries like Sri Lanka and Honduras have led the way in slashing maternal mortality.

I try to be careful about wording. One of the things I've tried to combat in my blog is the notion that journalists are arrogant and unconcerned with the readership.