BACKGROUND Greg Forbes Siegman is the real-life person upon whom The First Thirty is based. (For more on Greg, visit www.GregForbes.com ) In 2006, Greg and a complete stranger were in an elevator.  Greg was curious about a hat she was wearing and asked her about it.   During their brief conversation that followed, Greg found out the complete stranger was on her way to purchase some furniture but was facing a dilemma.  The person selling the furniture needed the buyer to take it immediately, but this woman (the buyer) could not take the furniture for several days.  Greg agreed to help out -- moving the furniture to his own home and storing it there for three days for this complete stranger, and then helping move the furniture to her new home when she was ready to pick it up.

The man selling the furniture (a doctor who was moving out of state) took note of Greg's actions, made an effort to learn more about him, and ended up getting The First Thirty.  After reading it, he purchased five additional copies and then delivered them to Greg with the request that he (Greg) give them to five complete strangers who commit acts of kindness.   The First Thirty Elevator Project IS BORN Greg happily did as instructed -- giving out the copies to complete strangers who helped him in seemingly small ways. A short time later, a businessman on the East Coast learned of the doctor's five-book act -- and decided to expand it...   The East Coast man -- who insisted on anonymity -- purchased fifty copies of the book with similar instructions.  He asked that some be given to students, and he asked that the rest be given out personally by Greg to others who are committing acts of kindness.   Greg happily began, slowly but surely, giving out the copies.

EXAMPLES In March 2007, Greg was giving an early-morning speech.  Before going to bed, he called the hotel's front desk and set up the wake-up call.  In the process, he let the front desk clerk at the hotel know how important it was that he wake up and expressed his hope that he heard the phone ring in the morning.  The clerk, unbeknownst to Greg, then arranged to stay beyond her regular shift just to make sure he got an extra wake up call if he didn't wake up to the initial one.  He ended up waking up to the initial wake up call, so it turned out that she didn't need to stay, but when he found out what she had been willing to do - and willing to do without even seeking acknowledgement for doing it - he got her one of the copies of the book via The First Thirty Elevator Project. In the summer of 2007, Greg needed to send a fax promptly.  The fax machine he regularly uses was not working.  So, he walked into a store and asked to use their fax machine in their back office.  The manager -- who had never previously met Greg -- graciously allowed him to do it.  Greg returned the next day with one of the books.

In August 2007, Greg stopped by a convenient store to get something to drink after going for a jog.  It turned out he was seventeen cents short.  Realizing how thirsty Greg was, the cashier allowed him to leave with a can of juice -- taking Greg at his word that he would return later with the rest of the money.  Greg returned an hour later with the seventeen cents, and a copy of The First Thirty. In September 2007,  Greg gave one copy to a complete stranger who helped him -- without being asked -- carry a large, heavy suitcase up a flight of stairs in the New York subway during rush hour when the complete stranger saw that Greg was struggling to do it on his own.   He gave another to a complete stranger who agreed to watch that same suitcase for thirty minutes while Greg ran to the other end of an airport to retrieve a small box he had forgotten.

In April 2008, before giving a day full of speeches, Greg walked into a restaurant across the street to get a bagel.  He ended up having a conversation with the extremely nice guy who worked there.  They ended up discovering they had a great deal in common - including past experiences living in Louisiana.  And both felt compelled to demonstrate that Louisiana hospitality to a new friend.  Greg's act was an easy one -- choosing Kent as the latest recipient of The First Thirty courtesy of The First Thirty Elevator Project  (Fun side note:  A few minutes later, Greg went across the street to give his speech - and ended up scrapping part of his speech to instead talk about the restaurant next door and the really nice guy who works there).

RECIPIENT TO BENEFACTOR: PASSING IT ON In late 2007, one of those selected for The First Thirty Elevator Project went from recipient to benefactor.   Here's the story:  A woman named Tara first received a copy of The First Thirty via the Elevator Project after she committed an act of kindness.   After reading the book, and learning more about the Elevator Project, Tara decided to pass on the kindness --  purchasing two additional copies of The First Thirty to be given to others via the same Project that made it possible for her to receive a copy herself. PROJECT SPREADS TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND IN A NEW DIRECTION During the same time period, a similar turn of events led the Project in a new direction in a new country.   Inspired by The First Thirty Elevator Project, a Canadian hotel executive named Rachel wanted to see more copies of The First Thirty given out to people who commit acts of kindness -- except that, instead of sending them to Greg and asking him to give them out, she decided to have them sent to her and do it herself.    After she gave out the first five copies she ordered, she subsequently ordered ten more copies to continue with her efforts -- saying that she enjoyed doing it so much that she envisioned doing it for years to come.   In the meantime, one of the recipients she selected -- a Canadian man named Randy -- read the book he received, then promptly ordered 10 more so that he could give them to others who commiit acts of kindness as well.

ANONYMOUS GIFT SPURS RIPPLE EFFECT IN ANOTHER DIRECTION

In December 2007, the anonymous New York businessman who purchased copies of The First Thirty to help with the initial expansion of The First Thirty Elevator Project  decided he'd like to take things even further.  He subsequently purchased another 50 copies of the book -- with the request that they be given out to those who could use some support or inspiration during the holidays.  The copies he purchased were donated to a variety of nonprofit organizations and service agencies.  They included: a hospital (for its Reach Out and Read program), a medical center (to give to selected patients), a nonprofit organization (for staff and beneficiaries), a psychiatric rehabilitation center (for its Young Adult Program), and an abused women's shelter (for some of the women and their kids)

THE FIRST THIRTY ELEVATOR PROJECT INSPIRES THE FIRST THIRTY PILLOWCASE PROJECT Inspired by the concept of The First Thirty Elevator Project (and the book itself), the Victoria Inn Hotel & Convention Center in Canada ordered copies of The First Thirty to launch The First Thirty Pillowcase Project -- in which the hotel will be placing copies of the book, as a surprise gift, on the pillows of individual guests who not only enjoy their stay but make the experience positive for everyone, staff included.

THE FIRST THIRTY ELEVATOR PROJECT EXPANDS TO CHINA In a classic case of the ripple effect at work, what began in an elevator in the United States has now spread to the other side of the world. First, a restauranteur in Florida (Claudine Mourjan) gave out copies to people she met in China, who treated her with kindness (and could read English - the book is not yet translated in other languages)....

....AND ... AFRICA! ...and then people began ordering dozens of copies to be given out to people in Africa.   Click here to read more about that.

THE FIRST THIRTY ELEVATOR PROJECT COMES FULL CIRCLE In a situation almost too ironic for words...in June 2008, Greg was in Africa serving as American Scholar in Residence for a US-based program (and carrying out The First Thirty Elevator Project: Africa), when he happened to meet a dentist and his wife in a short elevator ride.  Right then and there, on the spot, the man ordered three copies of The First Thirty - one for him and his wife, and two additional copies to be given out to young people in America. In other words, a project that began with a chance meeting in front of an elevator between Greg, a doctor and a woman in America - leading to copies of The First Thirty being given to people throughout Africa...had now resulted in a chance meeting in front of an elevator between Greg, a doctor and a woman in Africa - leading to copies of The First Thirty being given to people in America.

HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED There are three ways to do it: (1)  You can order copies of The First Thirty with the request that Greg give them to people who commit acts of kindness.  (2) You can order copies of The First Thirty and give them out yourself to people who commit acts of kindness in your presence. (3) Some other you come up with - that's how this Project keeps growing. in new directions! In any or all of these cases, you can order 1 copy, 2 copies, 5, 10, 50, or any other quantity large or small  (The books are just $10 each). If you are doing Option 1 (where Greg will be giving out the books you purchase)....Upon request, we're happy to insert a note letting the recipients know who you are, as we did with the doctor... or you can be anonymous like the East Coast man.  It's entirely up to you.  If you or your company would like to become part of The First Thirty Elevator Project, email Books@IdeaListEnterprises.com