This is the time of the year where “lists” start showing up. The most, the least, the largest, the smallest, the best, the worst … you know them and, if you’re like us, you like having friendly arguments over whether Beyonce or David Cook should be ranked higher on the music lists. Or how Beyonce and Enya can be on the same list.

Two lists we’d like to bring to your attention one has Boone among the largest charitable givers in the nation. According to “http://images.businessweek.com/ss/08/11/1124_biggest_givers/17.htm”> Business Week Magazine T. Boone Pickens ranks 16th in the nation who has donated move than $700 million over the past four years to various academic, social, and health-related charities.

When someone tells you “Boone is in this for the money,” you can point out that “the money” he’s in it for are the many charities he and his wife, Madeleine, support.

The second list which came to our attention was one from the editors of the website sikantisearth.com who write: “From our writings of the past year, we compiled our own list of people who already started to make their green life reality.”

The list ranges from a high school teacher in Sante Fe, New Mexico to a twelve-year-old who has developed a new solar cell to T. Boone Pickens for his work on wind energy.

Speaking of donating, as we all begin to think about what to get our friends and colleagues for Christmas, we would like to suggest buying and giving copies of Boone’s book, “The First Billion is the Hardest” published by Random House.

As Boone reminds folks at every book signing, all proceeds from sales of the book go to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas and to the Fisher House which “provides a home away from home that enables family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful time — during hospitalization for an illness, disease or injury.”

If you want a great gift of a great book which will help two great causes, then you might think about giving copies of “The First Billion is the Hardest” for Christmas.

— The Pickens Team