From Al-Ahram, Europe, with its history of conflict, has embraced unity while the Arab world, despite its cultural homogeneity, remains divided — why? In light of recent scandals, we will now require arrest records and stool samples from all autobiographers — and can someone fact-check the Gospels? A review of Homer's The Iliad and The Odyssey: A Biography by Alberto Manguel. A review of Propitious Esculent: The Potato in World History by John Reader. An interview with Karli Cerankowski, member of the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. From American Heritage, an article on the miserable life, death and immortality of Hank Williams. A review of Guilty Robots, Happy Dogs: The Question of Alien Minds by David McFarland. From The Observer, meet Brian, Master of the Omniverse. From Cafe Babel, a special issue on European arts and the city. An affair of states: Managing government isn't sexy, but it can get results. A review of This Is Civilisation by Matthew Collings. A review of The Magical Chorus: A History of Russian Culture from Tolstoy to Solzhenitsyn by Solomon Volkov. It is one of the most seismic changes the world has ever seen; across the globe there is an unstoppable march to the cities, powered by new economic realities — but what kind of lives are we creating? An article on celebrating the semicolon in a most unlikely location.
