In today’s New York Times piece Gary Vaynerchuk reveals why at the end of the day he’s just a ‘Storyteller.’

As Eric Asimov writes,

Few people had ever heard of Mr. Vaynerchuk in early 2006, when he posted his first episode of Wine Library TV on the Wine Library Web site.

Before long his high-volume, hyper-enunciated delivery, sprinkled with bizarre tasting analogies and unlikely stream-of-consciousness departures, had earned him a rabid Internet following, along with ridicule from detractors in the audience. He was called a clown and the Human Infomercial, whose over-the-top style was dumbing down wine. Yet his fan base kept growing. He estimates his audience for each episode of Wine Library TV (he’s just recorded No. 733) at 90,000 people, and he has nearly 900,000 followers on Twitter.

The numbers have made Mr. Vaynerchuk not only a wine industry phenomenon, but a social media superstar who’s being held up as a role model for using the tools of e-commerce to succeed in any business.

Online marketing trailblazer Gary Vaynerchuk (VAY NER CHUK) is a 33-year-old entrepreneur whose dual identity as both business guru and wine guy has made him known as the “Social Media Sommelier.” A self-trained wine expert, he revolutionized the wine industry with his video blog, Wine Library TV (affectionately known as The Thunder Show), and grew his family wine business from $4 million to $60 million in five years.

Holocaust survivor Rita Lurie and her daughter, Leslie Gilbert-Lurie, offer a firsthand account of survival and healing in the memoir Bending Toward the Sun. The book explores how the trauma of the Holocaust extends into the lives of second and third generations. Rita and Leslie shared their story today on the Today Show.

Deborah N. Landis recently shared her life’s work as a costume designer at the Dallas Museum of Art, but see what she had to say last year about the work of future designers, tips on how to be successful and her passion for exploring the untold stories behind her craft.

As she said in an interview for NBC’s Dallas affiliate, “…Stories are about people and people are the centerpiece of every movie, costumes are always in the foreground and always in the center of the frame. Yet, the work of a costume designer is often ‘hidden in plain sight’ and the costume designer’s work is often completely invisible.”

When we make decisions we think we’re in control, making rational choices. But are we? Entertaining and surprising, Dan Ariely unmasks the subtle but powerful tricks that our minds play on us.

Today Dan explores the question: Are We More Rational Than Our Fellow Animals?

“We usually accept without argument the notion that man is at the top of the animal hierarchy. After all, only mammals have a neocortex – the most recently evolved part of the brain and the center of higher mental functions – and ours is the most advanced variation, so it makes sense that we’d be at a higher stage of development.

But is this true? Does the neocortex always make us more rational than other animals?”

Find out at Predictably Irrational.

Dan Ariely is is the James B. Duke Professor of Behavioral Economics at Duke University and visiting Professor at the MIT Media Lab. The former Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Behavioral Economics at MIT, where he held a joint appointment between MIT’s Program in Media Arts and Sciences and the Sloan School of Management, he is the only person ever to hold joint appointments at MIT’s business school and also at its famous Media Lab. A behavioral economist, Ariely’s research has shown that we all succumb to irrationality in situations where rational thought is expected. He is an expert on how people actually act – and why they act – in all kinds of business and economic environments, and what this means for business innovation, strategy, and marketing.

Historian Douglas Brinkley spoke with CBS Early Show anchor Harry Smith about the state of our national parks his new book The Wilderness Warrior: Theodore Roosevelt and the Crusade for America, an instant New York Times best-seller.

Dr. Douglas Brinkley has been hailed by the Chicago Tribune as “America’s new past master,” and the late Stephen E. Ambrose called him “the best of the new generation of American historians.” He is the author of a number of award-winning and best-selling books, including The Great Deluge, Tour of Duty, The Boys of Pointe du Hoc, Parish Priest, and, he edited the number one New York Times best-seller The Reagan Diaries, the personal diaries kept by Ronald Reagan during his time in the White House.

As the co-author of Instant Turnaround! Getting People Excited About Coming to Work and Working Hard (William Morrow), Dr. Ross Reck knows a lot about balancing life and work. This is the advice he has to offer this week:

“USA Today recently reported on a number of new research studies that focused on the relationship between money and happiness.  What these studies found is that money is very important when it comes to meeting basic needs (food, clothing, shelter and paying the bills).  Once these needs are met, happiness is no longer about money.  Instead, happiness comes from social interactions with others rather than accumulating material goods. According to Ed Diener, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois, money “…almost doesn’t matter at all for enjoying life.”  In fact, the people who were the most concerned about money and material possessions were the least happy.  I always feel more energized and happy the morning after I’ve spent the evening with friends. Spending or accumulating money has never made me feel that way.”

Reck is also co-author of Revved! and the best-selling The Win-Win Negotiator. In addition, he is the author of Turning Your Customers into Your Sales Force and The X-Factor. For more helpful hints check out www.rossreck.com

Parenting Guru Betsy Brown Braun spoke with the Early Show about how to prepare kids for going back to school.

Betsy Brown Braun, the author of Just Tell Me What to Say, is a Child Development Specialist, a Parent Educator, and a Multiple Birth Parenting Consultant. With a Masters Degree in Human Development and teaching credentials from Pacific Oaks College, Braun has over 35 years of experience in early childhood and elementary education and as a parenting educator.

According to Jonathan Cohn, the American government has more than enough money to take care of people without health insurance.

Jonathan Cohn is a senior editor of The New Republic, where he writes a blog called “The Treatment.” He is also the author of Sick: The Untold Story of America’s Health Care Crisis – and the People Who Pay the Price  (HarperCollins

Lindsey Pollak is the author of Getting from College to Career: 90 Things to Do Before You Join the Real World, a popular career advice guide for college students and recent graduates.  On her blog,  she shares tips on LinkedIn for all job seekers.

“As the largest and most vibrant professional social network, LinkedIn provides a wealth of opportunities for job seekers and ambitious young professionals. But LinkedIn doesn’t work unless you work it. How can you make the most of LinkedIn? Here are some tips for creating a profile that will impress employers, colleagues, headhunters, professional association members and more:”

1. Include keywords in your summary statement.

2. Write for the screen.

3. List all experience.

4. Collect diverse recommendations.

5. Share your news frequently.

For descriptions on how to implement these tips and more information visit www.lindseypollak.com. And check out Lindsey in action below:

HCSB’s latest speaker, Kaylie Jones discusses her (not-so) charmed childhood, her family’s struggle with alcoholism, and rebounding with martial arts, as revealed in her new memoir Lies My Mother Never Told Me (William Morrow), on shelves 8/25.

Kaylie Jones  is an award-winning novelist and screenplay writer. She is the acclaimed author of A Soldier’s Daughter Never Cries (which was made into the Merchant Ivory film starring Kris Kristofferson and Barbara Hershey and won the New York Public Library Young Adult Fiction Award), Celeste Ascending, As Soon as it Rains, Quite the Other Way, and Speak Now. The daughter of Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist James Jones (From Here to Eternity, The Thin Red Line) she chairs the James Jones First Novel Fellowship, which awards $10,000 annually to an unpublished first novel.