From First Monday, Erika Pearson (Otago): All the World Wide Web’s a Stage: The performance of identity in online social networks; and an essay on online courses and how they change the nature of class. An interview with Michail Ryklin, author of Communism as Religion. From FT, a review of Finance: Servant or Deceiver? Financialization at the Crossroads by Paul Dembinski. From Fortune, an interview with Paul Osterman, author of The Truth About Middle Managers. Beijing's GDP Numerology: A look at the unscientific origins of the national obsession with 8 percent — no more, no less — economic growth. Moderate extremists: Tunku Varadarajan on Taliban that he has known. God beats up on people who ask useless questions: A review of Peter L. Berger's Questions of Faith: A Skeptical Affirmation of Christianity. A review of Feminism and War: Confronting US Imperialism. Will Jurassic Park ever really come true? An excerpt from The Philosophers' Quarrel: Rousseau, Hume, and the Limits of Human Understanding by Robert Zaretsky and John T. Scott. The mainstream media have at last figured out how to deal with Tyler Perry. Shortchanging citizens, damaging the profession: Brian McKenna on how anthropology disparages journalism (and more). Is his power finally waning? Reza Aslan on Osama bin Laden's new irrelevance. An interview with Elana Schor of Talking Points Memo on the demands of a blog-driven job.