From Mute, the computer, it has been argued, inspired a wave of post-war "imaginary futures", yet, prior technological developments were similarly animated by fantasies and anxieties about the transformation of human capacities — here are three critical histories of modernity's futuramas firmly back down to earth. Minor tragedies, rejections in love, trouble at work: The Web site Vie de Merde is allowing the French to express their daily frustrations — and make each other laugh. The introduction to Pop Finance: Investment Clubs and the New Investor Populism by Brooke Harrington. A look at the 10 worst musicals of all time. The political psyche: What makes politicians behave the way they do? A look at how long memories may ensnare a dictator in Suriname. A review of The Philosophy of Derrida by Mark Dooley and Liam Kavanagh. Meet John "Dubya" McCain: If you like George Bush's foreign policy, you'll love the GOP's current candidate. Max Weber was wrong about disenchantment: A review of Re-enchanting the World: Maya Protestantism in the Guatemalan Highlands by C. Mathews Samson. Alan Keyes has deserted the GOP — will his new party take him? Save the Mount: Why Edith Wharton's house is an architectural treasure. Alan Gilbert reviews Peter Schjeldahl's Let’s See: Writings on Art from the New Yorker.
