From NYRB, a review of works on The Wire; Paul Krugman and Robin Wells on the way out of the slump — a review essay; and the pirates are winning: A review of Somalia: The New Barbary? Piracy and Islam in the Horn of Africa by Martin N. Murphy and Warriors: Life and Death Among the Somalis by Gerald Hanley. In praise of inflation: James Surowiecki on why a little of what we fear might do us good. Nerve takes a look at the ten worst Saturday Night Live hosts of all time. Of Vikings, trolls and translation trouble: Barry Lynn on how he learned about church and state in Norway. A review of Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead: The Writers and Artists Who Made National Lampoon Insanely Great by Rick Meyerowitz. Can Twitter lead people to the streets? There's "Room for Debate" at the New York Times. Elif Batuman on Kafka’s Last Trial: A tale of eccentric heirs, Zionist claims, a cat-infested apartment and a court fight the author would have understood all too well. From Obit magazine, death on high: Mountaineering accidents may be few, but they’re savage; and when grief becomes competitive: These days, those of note aren’t allowed to go quietly. A Romp Through Time: Tony Perrottet on a brief history of modern love's seminal moments. There are a lot of shoddy polls out there; some are frank about their shortcomings and some aren’t — here are some ideas for getting an accurate picture of what a poll can tell you.
