From The Wilson Quarterly, an essay on The New Kindergarten: The case for universal pre-kindergarten isn’t as strong as it seems; a review of Einstein's Mistakes: The Human Failings of Genius by Hans C. Ohanian; and in the digital age, will the OED remain a cultural cornerstone? A look at the top five issues facing the United Nations in 2009. The Obama tide lifted some clear winners: James Wolcott on The Good, the Bad, and Joe Lieberman. Michael Kinsley on the Bush Presidency, eight years later. From THES, a review of The Social Impact of the Arts: An Intellectual History by Eleonora Belfiore and Oliver Bennett; and a review of Try to Remember: Psychiatry's Clash over Meaning, Memory and Mind by Paul R. McHugh. From Mental Floss, an article on 6 cases of shamelessly false advertising; here are 3 maps that get people worked up; and the stories behind 20 Muppet favorites. On second thought: Why being wrong can be a good thing. A review of Hollywood Under Siege: Martin Scorsese, the Religious Right, and the Culture Wars by Thomas R. Lindlof. For scholars, a combustible question: Was Christ real? Conservatives are getting down and dirty to spread their social agenda. Playboy, like its founder, is getting rickety — a lament for a heyday more glorious than we knew. An American at Cambridge: Hot Victorian Sex!
