Men of Influence magazine

The law of generosity combatting coronavirus in Pakistan

Aysha Imtiaz As Pakistan imposes stricter lockdown measures, many daily wage workers are unable to work, earn and eat (Credit: Aysha Imtiaz) As Pakistan imposes greater social distancing measures to combat coronavirus, a Muslim law of generosity is helping to save those out of work. Our coverage during coronavirus While travelling is on hold due […]

The ‘sacred forests’ of northern Ethiopia

Sarah Hewitt An Ethiopian woman descends back to the valley after visiting the church forest (Credit: Sarah Hewitt) They were found through a quirk of the region’s geopolitical history, which left a photographic trail of WWII aerial photos and declassified Cold War-era spy satellite images. A group of children were listening to a story beneath […]

How a Portuguese fishing village tamed a 100ft wave

Rytis Seskaitis/Getty Images (Credit: Rytis Seskaitis/Getty Images) Nazaré used to be a beach resort that emptied in winter. Now it’s the epicentre of big wave surfing due to the skyscraper-sized waves generated by Europe’s largest underwater canyon. It was a clear day in September in the Portuguese beach resort of Nazaré. The sun sparkled off […]

The birthplace of hallucinogenic science

Leonid Andronov/Getty Images Basel’s Old Town is one of the best-preserved and most beautiful in Europe (Credit: Leonid Andronov/Getty Images) This Swiss city is where Albert Hofmann accidentally discovered the hallucinogenic properties of LSD, which transformed popular culture as well as psychology and brain science. Talk of famous bike rides and you may think of […]

A wartime solution to isolation

Melissa Banigan The writer’s grandparents narrated their entire romance over letters during World War Two (Credit: Melissa Banigan) Letter writing may just be the balm some people need amid a cacophony of difficult news, terrifying statistics and misinformation on social media. Like many young lovers separated during World War Two, my American grandparents narrated their […]

The Greek island with an ancient ‘sushi’ tradition

Nikos Stamatakis (Credit: Nikos Stamatakis) On verdant Skopelos, locals have been curing and rolling fish for generations in a “sushi-style” preparation that dates back to medieval times. “What are you doing? Why are you throwing it away?” cried Nikos Stamatakis to a young fisherman who’d just disentangled a huge moray eel from a net full […]

Japan’s mountain ascetic hermits

Westend61/Getty Images Meditation under a waterfall is among the rituals required to become a certified Yamabushi (Credit: Westend61/Getty Images) For more than 1,400 years, Yamabushi monks have been walking Japan’s sacred mountains, believing that this harsh natural environment can bring enlightenment. In an ancient forest of towering cedars, all was silence except for the chirping […]

Why only Quebec can claim poutine

spasmik/Getty Images Classic poutine is often sold alongside versions topped with an array of decadent ingredients (Credit: spasmik/Getty Images) Political tensions are never far from the surface in this Canadian province, even when it comes to this beloved snack of French fries, cheese curds and gravy. “It is the unofficial official dish of Canada. In […]

Can you ever get over a lingering grudge?

Getty (Credit: Getty) We all have ongoing grudges. It’s in our interests to get over them – so, can we? When you spend 40 hours a week with the same people, it’s not surprising that some of them will occasionally rub you up the wrong way.  One of my own lingering grudges comes from a […]

João Carvalhaes: Football’s psychology pioneer and his role in 1958 World Cup win

Brazil’s 1950 and 1954 World Cup campaigns had been torturous. In 1950 defeat in the final by Uruguay at the Maracanã, the spiritual home of Brazilian football, prompted mourning across the country. The 1954 tournament, held in Switzerland, ended in ignominy as Brazil were reduced to nine men during an ugly 4-2 quarter-final loss to […]