From Human Affairs, Sami Pihlstrom (Tampere): Mortality as a Philosophical-Anthropological Issue: Thanatology, Normativity, and "Human Nature"; and Alexander Kremer (Szeged): Rorty and Normativity. From The Bulletin, how can we reduce the risk of human extinction? An interview with Ray Kurzweil on plans to live indefinitely. From Discover, here are 10 everyday technologies that can change the world. From The Wilson Quarterly, even the most high-minded aid can sometimes do a lot of harm: John R. Miller on Slavery; Holly Yeager on The New Face of Global Giving; Matthew Connelly on Controlling Passions; and G. Pascal Zachary on Humanitarian Dilemmas. Michael Ignatieff reviews Freedom's Battle: The Origins of Humanitarian Intervention by Gary Bass (and more and more and more). From First Principles, an essay on the Americanization of conservatism; and a review of Reclaiming the American Right: The Lost Legacy of the Conservative Movement by Justin Raimondo. From Ovi, an article on the sad saga of American democracy. A review of Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (and How We the People Can Correct It) by Sanford Levinson. A review of Memo to a New President: The Art and Science of Presidential Leadership by Michael Genovese. A look at how cereal transformed American culture.
