Women in the Muslim world taking the fast track to change

While much work remains to close the equality gap for the 800 million Muslim women worldwide, the rates of education and employment for some have increased dramatically in a short span of time.

Read more in the McKinsey Quarterly.

Thanks, +Zuhair Khan 

TED Talk // The hidden meanings in kids' movies | Colin Stokes

Reminds me of Arthur Chu's post "Your Princess is in Another Castle."

Thanks, +Cong Ding 

The Laughing Heart - Charles Bukowski - A Short Film

Thanks, +Mark Wilson 

Dropout Club

What happened to the teenage entrepreneurs whom Peter Thiel paid to forgo college? Read more in The Chronicle.

What the Seed Funding Boom Means for Raising a Series A

Check out the First Round Capital post.

HBR Daily Stat: Something Else for J.K. Rowling to Feel Good About

The stat re: reducing prejudice:

A study in two nations of students of various ages demonstrates that reading or listening to the Harry Potter novels and identifying with the main character increase tolerance of stigmatized groups, says a team led by Loris Vezzali of the University of Modena in Italy. For example, Italian elementary-school children who listened to passages from the books over six weeks showed improved attitudes toward immigrants. In the books, which have sold more than 450 million copies worldwide, the hero is angered by discrimination, such as when Hermione Granger, who isn’t a pure-blood witch, is insulted as a “filthy little Mudblood.”

Read more in HBR.

Blocking the Paths to Suicide

Here are a bunch of (for me) surprising stats on suicides:

In fact, suicide is often a convergence of factors leading to a sudden, tragic event. In one study of people who survived a suicide attempt, almost half reported that the whole process, from the first suicidal thought to the final act, took 10 minutes or less.

...  Sometimes, depression isn’t even in the picture. In one study, 60 percent of college students who said they were thinking about ways to kill themselves tested negative for depression. 

Read more in the NYT.

Thanks, +Alessia Bhargava