Below is my 4th annual list of Favorite Do-Good Books (in alphabetical order). You can also check out my lists from past years: Favorite Do-Good Books of 2007 Favorite Do-Good Books of 2006 Favorite Do-Good Books of 2005

The short, dark, last days of the year are a great time to reflect on your 2008 Activist Resolutions, and your favorite "social actions" of 2008. What did you do this year that you feel made a real impact? My favorite social action was being a sponsor for Jacinta Onoro, a Nigerian woman participating in Women for Women International.

Do you know why they put gum, keychains and other small, low-cost items at the checkout counter? So that you'll throw them in your cart at the last minute as an impulse buy. Even though you didn't go into the store planning on buying a 3-pack of ChapStick, it seems like a good idea in the moment, so you do.

Today is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights' 60th anniversary. As part of the 60th anniversary celebration, everyhumanhasrights.org is holding an Online Rally for Human Rights. You can participate in several ways:

When you're on your death bed looking back on your life, what will you remember most, the stuff you received as gifts, or the time you spent with the people you care about? On Wednesday I posted 10 Lists of Holiday Gifts That Give Back. Although many of the ideas on the lists help people in need, or have a light impact on the planet, most of the ideas are objects to purchase. I want to share with you a story about a friend of mine's mom who for the last few years has only given gifts of time for birthdays and holidays.