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How did the idea for your book, 100 Making a Difference, come about? John Russo: My inspiration for the book came from the many encounters over the years with countless numbers of amazing people, who have dedicated themselves to helping others. It's a collection of 100 passionate, devoted philanthropists and humanitarians, who have committed their lives to improving the lives of others. What was the process like and how long have you been working on it? JR: I have been working on it for seven years, traveling the world photographing these incredible humans and hearing their stories. The process has been long, but oh so well worth it. Some of the people featured in the book, I have known for years and getting them photographed was easy. However, there were definitely quite a few which took an arduous amount of scheduling and rescheduling to do. Each person I photographed, I took the time to know them, what and who they are about. I wanted to know why these people supported their particular non-profits or organizations. One by one they told of their personal experiences, what tied them to their cause. Some recounted anecdotes, which brought tears to my eyes, but in general it was about a celebration of the good that people do in this world. Fortunately, I have great friends along the way helping (Irena Medavoy and Elizabeth Chambers) and an amazing staff throughout the process. Without them, I could have not completed this book. How did you decide who to feature in this book? JR: Because I shoot so many celebrities daily for work, I was constantly talking to them about their personal lives and things that they are doing. I discovered all these wonderful stories and causes and thus came the inspiration. What originally was to feature only celebrities from film, television, and music turned into something so much more. When I met the likes of Malala, Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, Rex Weyler, Quinton Van Der Burgh, and so many other philanthropists and humanitarians, I knew the book needed to include them all. Is there a person/people featured that particularly stand out to you? JR: There's not one person in particular who stood out over another, each person was special in their own way. What do you hope people take away from this book? JR: I made this book to inspire people to start a conversation, to take action. Not only to learn more about people who are often in the spotlight and what causes they support and why, but to raise awareness of organizations that maybe one might not know about. I want people to say 'Wow, if they can do this in their communities, I can do something too.' Gwyneth Paltrow Matthew McConaughey