Brock,

My favorite piece of research was Begley's article - not so much for what he said, but the way I interpreted it.  I love psychology ~ what makes people tick.  We are surrounded by examples of people believing what they want to, in spite of evidence to the contrary; conspiracy theorists, victims of domestic abuse and Nigerian millionaires.

Your last question is harder to answer.  One example could be Edward VII abdicating the throne for Wallis Simpson.  However, I think the one I like the most is the Coral Castle in Miami, FL.  It was built by one man, Ed Leedskalnin for the woman who broke off their wedding only one day before it was scheduled.  

"From 1923 to 1951, Ed single-handedly and secretly carved over 1,100 tons of coral rock... heartbroken and deeply saddened by this tragic loss, Ed set out on a lifelong quest to create a monument to his lost love... With no outside assistance or large machinery Ed single-handedly built the Coral Castle, carving and sculpting over 1,100 tons of coral rock, as a testimony to his lost love, Agnes... What makes Ed’s work remarkable is the fact that he was just over 5 feet tall and weighed only 100 pounds."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&amp;v=1CmlBHGWugY

http://coralcastle.com/gallery/gallery-b-2/