For more than 25 years, Peggy Orenstein has broken new ground with her intimate explorations of adolescence. In her bestselling books “Girls and Sex” and “Boys and Sex,” she dives into the lives of young people to unravel the hidden truths, hard lessons, and important realities of their lives. This is her Brief But Spectacular take on talking to kids about sex.

For the last decade, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott has been following Dasani, a child who grew up in homeless shelters and foster care in New York. Elliot’s new book, “Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City,” expands on her 2013 profile of Dasani, poverty and opportunity in America. Elliott offers us her Brief But Spectacular take on seeing the unseen.

Bren Smith has spent his life on the water. After seeing firsthand the harsh effects of commercial fishing on the climate, he wanted to find a more environmentally friendly way to do what he loved. In 2013, he founded the non-profit GreenWave to teach regenerative ocean farming techniques to fishermen across the world. He gives his Brief But Spectacular take on making a living on a living planet.

Brandon Dennison is a sixth generation West Virginian who is on a mission to revitalize Appalachia. His community based non-profit, Colefield Development, has trained over 1200 people facing barriers to employment, helping with education and personal development. Dennison gives his Brief But Spectacular take on rebuilding the Appalachian economy, and making it sustainable in the process.