A few of them are famous or prominent, but most of them not known outside their own communities, including:
- The modern-day Helen Keller.
- The widowed great-grandmother who lives alone in the Rocky Mountains and passes along her outdoors skills to children.
- The college professor who spends his summers teaching poor Appalachian kids to use computers.
- Top business executives using their time, money and skills to make a difference.
- The Big City Forest man.
- The best pickup basketball player in America.
- The senior citizens who help other 'silver surfers' lean to use the Internet.
- The lady brewer.
- The man who invented e-mail.

These stories and more provide lessons for all Americans in how to work, how to play and how to live our lives to the fullest.