What do Nora Roberts, Simon Fuller, Tony Dungy, Rosie O'Donnell, Warren Buffett, Brian Williams, Queen Elizabeth II, Osama bin Laden, John Roberts, Justin Timberlake, Condoleezza Rice, Rhonda Byrne, Raul Castro, Pope Benedict XVI, Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Chien-Ming Wang, Richard Dawkins, Nancy Pelosi, and Steve Jobs have in common?
They are among the members of The TIME 100, an annual list of the world's most influential people. TIME breaks the list into five categories: Artists & Entertainers; Leaders & Revolutionaries; Heroes & Pioneers: Scientists & Thinkers; and Builders & Titans. Each group includes between 18 and 22 people. Some appear in categories that you might not expect. Recognized for making A Journey to Darfur, George Clooney is featured in the Heroes & Pioneers list along with fellow actor Michael J. Fox, whose foundation is working to find a cure for Parkinson's Disease. Former Vice President Al Gore, no longer in public office, is considered a Scientist & Thinker for bringing attention to global warming. It is an intriguing feature, not only because of those included, but also because of an omission. Some are surprised that George W. Bush is not on the list. Politics aside, it is interesting that TIME does not consider the President of the United States, the Commander-in-Chief of the American military, one of the people who shapes our world. Unfortunately, the magazine does not explain how the list was compiled. Readers don't know if the choices were made by the editorial staff or if a diverse group of people from various fields was surveyed. We do not know if the magazine had criteria for selection, either.
You can find TIME, along with our other magazines and newspapers, in the Stearns room (past the new fiction). Because the TIME 100 is in the most recent issue, you need to read it in the library. It will be available for checkout next week. In the meantime, you can take a look at TIME.com.
Are these truly the 100 most influential people, or can you think of others who shape our world? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.