Studs Terkel, a University of Chicago alum (my alma mater) and one of the best interviewers of the 20th century, passed away today at the age of 96.
His work is an excellent example of one of the major principles of self-education and lifelong learning: you can learn something from everyone if you have the courage and discipline to ask the right questions and listen carefully to the answers.
His New York Times obituary can be read here.