You'd be surprised how easy it is to save someone's life.

As we sit here in our cozy Village, chilly rain falling, going about our daily lives, it's easy to forget some of the challenges experienced by people in other places around the globe. We're here getting riled up about fields and lunch-buying programs and teacher contracts. Those are all worthy topics of some concern. But sometimes our local issues make it easy to forget we're part of a bigger world. It's easy to remain uninformed, as we constantly filter the news that comes at us via the Internet, Twitter, Facebook, TV, radio, etc. But please don't filter this one out. It's about a problem that is literally killing millions of people -- and which each and every one of us could help fight with just pocket change and a few minutes of our time. Really.

Check out Seth Godin's blog today, which is End Malaria Day. Malaria? Isn't that some disease you get if you're on a safari and get bitten by too many mosquitos? It's far, far worse than that. Worldwide, a child dies of malaria every 45 seconds. But this disease could be virtually wiped out by something as simple as mosquito netting. Godin's blog post, and the End Malaria Day event, are designed to give people like you and me an easy way to learn more and save lives by contributing to the purchase of mosquito netting for families on the other side of the globe. Here's how simple it is:As suggested by Seth's blog:

Right this minute, right now, please do three things:

1. Buy two copies of End Malaria, an astonishing new book by more than sixty of your favorite authors. In a minute, I will explain why this might be the most important book you buy this year (not the best book, of course, just the most important one). You should buy one in paperback too so you can evangelize a copy to a colleague.

2. Tweet or like this post, or email it to ten friends (It only takes a second.)

3. Visit the End Malaria Day website and share it as well.

What would happen if you did that? What would happen if you stepped up and spent a few dollars?

Here's what would happen: someone wouldn't die.

A child wouldn't die from malaria, a disease that causes more childhood death than HIV/AIDS.

It's that direct. Malaria bednets are simple nets that hang over a window or a bed. They're treated with a chemical that mosquitos hate. The mosquitos fly away, they don't bite, people don't get malaria.

I hope you will do this. I'm going to do it right now.