Notable Articles
June 4, 2012
Ten Books to Read When Mad Men is Over 19
by Hannah Gersen
Mad Men is about to disappear from our lives once again, leaving us to grapple alone with our complicated nostalgia for an era when men were men, women were secretaries, and alcoholism was glamorous. These books give a closer look at the era.
May 1, 2012
Are eReaders Really Green? 61
by Nick Moran
Our conspicuous (and often unnecessary) tech consumption — eReaders included — contributes to an inflating carbon footprint far beyond anything ever caused by traditional book production.
April 23, 2012
Tolstoy or Dostoevsky? 8 Experts on Who’s Greater 51
by Kevin Hartnett
All mediocre novelists are alike; every great novelist is great in his own way.
March 28, 2012
The ___’s Daughter 76
by Emily St. John Mandel
To be clear, I think there’s absolutely nothing wrong with calling one’s book The ___’s Daughter. I think those titles have a marvelous rhythm to them. And yet one can’t help but wonder why there seem to be so many of them.
March 21, 2012
It’s All in Your Head: The Problems With Jonah Lehrer’s Imagine 50
by Tim Requarth and Meehan Crist
As Lehrer writes, “Until we understand the set of mental events that give rise to new thoughts, we will never understand what makes us so special.” This claim raises the stakes for the book. The problem is, it’s probably just not true.
March 1, 2012
Ban This Book: An Uncensored Look At The Lorax And Other Dangerous Books 6
by Alan Levinovitz
Am I a closet censor, ready to suppress repugnant ideologies while trumpeting the importance of Banned Books Week? The short answer is yes. The fact is, when censorship fits with one’s values, even the staunchest defenders of free speech are willing to bend the rules.