From Boston Review, development in dangerous places: A forum on global poverty and intervention, with Paul Collier, William Easterly, Larry Diamond, and more. Does every book deserve a review? Jacob Silverman investigates. In a fine tradition of literary punch-ups, here are some legendary insults. A look at why incompetence spreads through big organizations. A review of The Meaning of Sarkozy by Alain Badiou (and at Bookforum, John Lichfield reviews Sarkozy's Testimony: France in the Twenty-first Century). From Vanity Fair, Christopher Hitchens on Gordon Brown and the Labour Party; Michael Lewis on Joseph Cassano, the man who crashed the world; Michael Wolff on The Politico's Washington coup; and an article on Julia Child. Superman, Batman and The Flash could soon be joining forces with The 99, a team of superheroes based on Islamic culture and religion. From The Walrus, an interview with Camille Paglia: “We’re in a period of what Northrop Frye would have called the winter phase of irony and satire.” Last Man Standing: It’s no cause for celebration, but the global financial crisis shows why the United States remains the indispensable nation. The Man in Our Mirror: Black America's eulogies for the King of Pop also let us resurrect his best self.
